


Bend, Not Break

by SeekenPalmeres



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Is Merely A Guidline, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Niche Crossover Fic That Won't Leave Me Alone, Romance, Slow Burn, Takes Place Primarily In Naruto-verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:20:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 60,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeekenPalmeres/pseuds/SeekenPalmeres
Summary: Being the Avatar means making sacrifices in the name of duty. This is a reality that Juno has lived since she was a child. But when a deadly pandemic sweeps the Earth Kingdom, she will be challenged in ways far beyond what the sages taught her to expect.And lead to new realities beyond her wildest imaginings…Or:The Naruto/Avatar the Last Airbender fic that I wanted to read, and must therefore write.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 137
Kudos: 332
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts, Amazing OFC fanfiction





	1. Welcome to the Spirit World

Avatar Juno was not having a great day.

From her position swinging upside-down inside a sticky cocoon of webs, she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for herself. Things hadn’t exactly been going her way since she entered the spirit world two days prior, but this was getting ridiculous. Being chased by a flock of human sized vulture-flies and falling face-first into a bog of sticky spirit swamp water wasn’t bad enough? Now she had to go and find herself on the wrong side of whatever spider-inspired spirit whose lair she currently found herself in. 

All she could remember before waking was cautiously trying to cross a shallow gorge at the edge of the swamp-like territory she had been traveling through. She had been so relieved at finally making it out of there that she must have missed some sign of a trap. The map Wan Shi Tong had been persuaded to give her had a rough outline of the routes she would have to take to get from the hidden spirit-portal on the summit of Mount Mori all the way to Hurosai’s lair, but it was trickier than she had anticipated to actually make heads or tails of it. He had warned her that the spirit world was notoriously tricky to navigate and that the landscape changed often to suit the whims of the spirits, but finding a whole swamp smack dab in the middle of what was supposed to be a vast plain was definitely a little more disorienting than she had expected. 

The gorge she had to cross had looked innocent enough, and even lined up nicely with a line on the map which gave her a faint hope that she was actually headed in the right direction. Though, in hindsight, the log laying conveniently across it probably should have tipped her off to something suspicious going on. With the way her luck had been going, something as simple as a nice little natural bridge was obviously just an ambush point for some predatory spirit waiting for a witless victim to try and take an easy route across. 

Now, swinging upside down in a dark, damp cave with an unknown sticky fluid slowly dripping down the side of her face that she maddeningly couldn’t wipe off due to the fact that her arms were currently pinned to her sides, and desperately trying to shake off the groggy after effects of whatever venom she had been injected with, Juno could admit to herself that she was in a bit of a bad mood.

Her only consolation was that she couldn’t see a clouded snubbed-nosed leopard-monkey shaped cocoon dangling anywhere within her vantage point. Hopefully that meant that Asa had evaded the spirit which had so easily captured her. She spared a thought to her faithful animal companion and hoped that he would eventually be able to return to the physical world if she wasn’t able to get herself free from this. She had been so happy to discover that her best friend would be able to accompany her on this treacherous mission, but now she just hoped that he would have the sense to leave her behind and return to relative safety.

Turning her mind from worry over her dearest friend, Juno tried to look on the bright side. She supposed she should be grateful that whatever spirit that captured her appeared to prefer eating fresh food, otherwise it could have just as easily been her lifeless corpse that dangled in this dark cave as opposed to her alive-and-annoyed self. Though, for some reason, that thought didn’t exactly lift her spirits much.

Another thing to appreciate was the fact that no-one she knew was around to see her clumsy blunders as she made her way through the spirit world. Her old spirit guru Pavarti in particular would have despaired at her current struggles. She was the Avatar! The bridge between the spirit world and the physical world! This was supposed to be _easy_ for her!

She could picture the wrinkled prune now, face puckered like she had something smelly stuck under her nose, steely grey eyes twitching in annoyance at Juno’s flaws. 

_Avatar Juno, you must_ focus _your mind! Like a wandering stream, your thoughts flow and curve around every stone and branch, sliding around like a willy-nilly penguin seal pup. You must be like the stone which sits in the river, still and focused. FOCUS!_

Ugh, even the Pavarti in her _mind_ was annoying. And anyway, Juno would like to see her do better. It's all well and good to meditate, but where were the lessons in how to deal with spirit spiders and spontaneous bog appearances? 

Even worse was that mind-Pavarti had a point. Here she was swinging around in a web-cocoon and all she could do was feel sorry for herself and pointlessly worry. Juno spared a mental grumble for Pavarti being so self-righteous even in the privacy of her own _mind_ , before stopping, closing her eyes, and taking a few deep, centering breaths.

She emptied her mind of worry and fear, and reached for the tranquility the monks had taught her could always be found in her heart in even the most trying times. After a moment, she looked around the cave with new eyes. 

It was small and dark, with a smattering of stalagmites and stalactites jutting through the dark stone like the jagged teeth of a giant beast. Nearly every surface of the cave was covered in the same sticky web-substance she found herself encased in, with a few bulbous sacks intermittently scattered around - likely containing the remains of the creature’s other victims. The fact that she could see at all was due to a dim bio luminescence emanating from some of the stones around the cave. 

Taking a deep breath, Juno crunched her powerful ab muscles and swung her torso up to take a quick look at the web tethering her to the cave ceiling. She only had a brief glimpse before she had to release her muscles and swing back upside down. It seemed whatever toxin she had been injected with was still weakening her body, as well as leaving lingering grogginess. Based on her quick look, the thread didn’t seem all that thick, just a single strand securing her to the ceiling. 

Maybe the spirit wasn’t quite so used to hunting prey from the physical world? It seemed likely based on the fact that she had been able to wake up at all. Perhaps her sticky prison wasn’t made to imprison wiggling live victims, relying on the toxin to keep them incapacitated. She could try to swing around enough for the thread to snap, and maybe loosen some of the strands keeping her arms and legs pinned together.

Only one problem, she thought darkly, looking toward the floor, and the jagged stones protruding menacingly upwards. It wouldn’t do to free herself from the web cocoon only to be impaled by the stalagmites in the cave. Or was it stalactites? She could never remember which one was which.

 _Focus._ Right, so either it was stay still and wait for the spider-spirit to return and eat her, or take her chances that freeing herself from the web-cocoon would result in her demise from an unlucky fall on the cave floor. No real choice there.

She took a moment to gather her strength and center her thoughts once more before she started to crunch her abs to sway back and forth. Gaining momentum, Juno could feel the strands encasing her pull and tug. 

She soon started to tire, and the constant rocking was really turning her stomach. Then, suddenly, she heard it. A low rip followed by a loud _snap!_ And suddenly she was falling. She only had a moment to feel scared and fought the instinct to tense her body for impact when she hit something with her belly, _hard._ She bounced off, breath knocked right out of her, and tumbled down before finally coming to a stop. Wheezing, she looked up and saw that she had, against almost all odds, just managed to bounce off the side of one of the giant stalagmites and roll one a flat section of the cave floor.

She was freed from the tether to the ceiling, but the effort left her totally bushed, and she was still wrapped tightly in the web cocoon. All the swinging and falling had managed to loosen the webs to a certain extent, but her arms were still stuck to her sides. Teeth gritted, she groaned in frustration.

Then, almost mocking her, Juno heard the sound she had been dreading. The distant clicks of a scuttling insectoid.

She started to panic, wiggling with all her remaining strength in a last ditch effort to loosen her arms. The scuttling stopped, briefly, then started up once again, getting louder, fast!

She was just about to resign herself to becoming bug dinner, when out of the corner of her eye, a faint blur moved in the dim cave.

She probably wouldn’t have seen it if she hadn’t desperately been looking for it.

“Asa!” She gasped out, relief making her sag. The blur moved quickly to her side, and she felt clever fingers begin to pull and tug at her restraints. Juno renewed her efforts, and together they managed to free her arms.

Not a moment too soon! Juno sat up and was pulling at the strands trapping her legs together when the spider-spirit came into view.

Okay, make that a giant scorpion-spider spirit.

It clacked at her with its giant mandibles and screeched menacingly before quickly launching itself towards her.

Her legs were still stuck together, but all a good bender needs is her arms to fight.

She punched out a few quick fire blasts, blindingly bright in the dark cave. The spirit screeched again, quickly diverting its course to scuttle behind a giant stalagmite. Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, Juno returned her attention back to her trapped legs, and helped Asa to remove the remaining sticky strands of web.

She was free! Leaping to her feet, she only had a moment to feel elated before she had to quickly jump to the side to dodge a flying strand of web shot from the darkness. She blindly swept her arm in an arc in that direction, releasing a wide fire scythe. She heard another screech, and thrust a burst of air beneath her, launching herself into the air to perch on top of the tallest stalagmite. 

Huffing, she glanced quickly around, trying to spy her foe in the dim light. She spared a thought towards Asa, who had still been close by when the scorpion-spider shot out its web. Before she had long to worry, she felt his familiar weight climbing onto the back of her right shoulder.

Back to business. She could still hear the beast scuttling and screeching on the cave floor, but the sound was echoing around the cave, making it hard to pin down. She closed her eyes, took a steadying breath, and reached out with her earthbending sense. 

The eight-legged spirit was close, a stone’s throw away to her right, its scuttling sending staccato tremors through her awareness. Just as Juno tensed to leap towards it and end this, she felt something else on the edges of her awareness, a wave of footfalls from the distant corridors of the cave system, getting stronger.

Dread dropped in the pit of her stomach.

It was a colony.

“Time to leave, Asa”.

She felt his small hands grip her shirt tightly, then she was airbending a wind wheel to carry them swiftly toward where she sensed the entrance of the cave was. It was a challenge to navigate in the air, swerving sharply to avoid the stony teeth of the cave in near darkness, but time was of the essence. Juno didn’t want to be here when the rest of the scorpion-spiders made an appearance. 

They soon reached the mouth of a small tunnel on the far side of the cave, and Juno wasted no time running into it, quickly stomping a foot to the ground to earthbend the entrance shut behind them. During her earlier scan of the area, she knew that the labyrinthine cave had many other entrances and exits, but hopefully sealing this particular exit would buy them a bit of time. Reaching out once more with her earthbending sense through a hand trailing against the damp wall of the cave, Juno sprinted through the narrow passage, following the sharp twists and turns until, suddenly, they were out in the bright daylight.

Juno whooped, and with a strong burst of air, launched them directly away from the dark hole, which was on the side of a high, rocky hill. She felt Asa holding tightly to her back as she employed a wind-wheel to put some distance between them and the entrance to the spirit-infested cave. 

At the foot of the hill, she changed direction and entered into a copse of giant trees. After she felt satisfied with the space between them and the cave, she selected one of the tallest trees, and used her airbending to propel herself into a vertical run along the side of the massive trunk, alighting on a thick high branch.

Catching her breath, Juno sat heavily down on the branch, leaning back against the solid mass of the tree. Asa crawled into her lap and they took a moment to cling to each other in a tight hug.

She breathed heavily into his thick fur, his warm weight in her lap going a long way to slow her still-racing heart. After a moment, she released her hug a little to sit back and look into his liquid-dark eyes.

“You really saved my bacon back there Asa, I thought I was a goner for sure that time.”

He churrip-purred back at her, his small hands combing and fiddling with her hair and the loose flaps of her over-shirt. At some point during their scuffle in the cave, he had dropped his cloud-cover and so was completely visible, his stark-white fur broken by dark patches ringed with silver, shining in the light of the setting sun. His long bushy tail was wrapped securely around one of her legs, and after blinking at her, his dark face pressed against her neck in a soothing cuddle.

Juno sighed, and tugged at his fluffy pointed ears, feeling more grateful than ever that he was with her. It had been a gamble when she had decided to enter the spirit world physically in order to find the Spirit Hurosai, but the ability to navigate the landscape and defend herself using her bending made it too tempting. Not to mention, have Asa come with her. But her near brush with death in the cave of the scorpion-spiders was a sobering reminder that there was real risk involved. 

Mainly, not knowing what would happen if she died here.

If she had died in that cave, what would have happened to the Avatar cycle? Would her spirit find its way back to the physical world to be reincarnated into one of the water tribes, or would it be lost forever, wandering the spirit realm as a ghost?

There was no way to know for sure, as very few Avatars beside herself had ever made the journey physically into the Spirit world. Her predecessor, Avatar Bohai, through a meditative trance had advised that the risk was worth the reward and pushed to have her make the gamble, despite nearly no one else in her inner-circle reaching the same conclusion. It was a hard decision, especially since Bohai had given her some questionable advice in the past, being the hot-head that he was. She blamed the fact that he had been murdered in his prime for his often brash council, though she found it hard to deny his desire for risk-taking when his time in the world of the living was so cruelly cut short.

Thinking of those she left behind in the physical world is what finally gave her the motivation to stand. She had had some heated conversations with her friends and advisors about her decision to use the little-known spirit gate at the summit of Mount Mori in order to enter the spirit world physically, and she hated the thought of the bad blood and agonized waiting that they had to do while she completed her task. 

She also remembered what would happen if she should fail. She thought of the piles of bodies stacked outside village outskirts, and people afraid to leave their homes. Of the terror, and then tragic resignation as countless people fell ill to the mysterious disease that ran rampant across the earth kingdom.

It had started eight months prior. Juno was in the middle of touring the southern isles of the fire nation as a guest to Fire Lady Jia as a reward for completing her Avatar training. It had been an opportunity to relax and celebrate her nineteenth birthday surrounded by friends, while also visiting the noble families of the wealthy southern fire nation. The civil war of twenty years ago was still fresh in many peoples’ memories, and a visit from the legitimate ruling dignitary backed by the presence of a fully-realized Avatar was a good reminder for any who still felt lingering resentment or rebellious inclinations. Despite the political work, it had been a relaxing summer, with many days spent playing fire-ball on the beach and drinking spore-berry wine around warm campfires.

Then the rumors started pouring in. 

Rumors of whole Earth Kingdom villages disappearing from the map, of traveling merchants and civilians going missing. By the time legitimate reports reached her in the southern isles from the Earth Kingdom dignitary, the disease had become a pandemic. She had left immediately for Ba Sing Sei, arriving to a chaotic scene as the population of the Earth Kingdom capital began to panic. Riots, fear-mongering and looting was rampant across the city, and it had taken many public appearances from Juno and the aging Earth Kingdom Emperor, not to mention an unfortunate show of force from the Earth Kingdom soldiers, to settle the population somewhat.

Then the finest water bending healers arrived from the Northern and Southern water tribes. Alchemists and apothecaries from around the world put their heads together to come up with a cure, all to no avail.

Juno finally made the decision to venture into the vast library of Wan Shi Tong to see if she could find any information, and hint of the disease or a possible cure. The tempestuous spirit had granted her access to his precious library on one other occasion, so she had expected to be able to gain access to the desert palace. What she hadn’t expected was help from the spirit himself.

He had been surprisingly sympathetic to her cause, despite being notoriously difficult to work with.

“Disease is a universal villain.” He had told her. “And medicine the most noble of human pursuits. I will help you to find what I can.”

They had spent what felt like weeks pouring over scroll after scroll for anything that could help. A hint of some precious herb, or surgical treatment that could help. Anything.

But there was nothing. It seemed as though the disease had come into the world with no hint, no trace of having ever existed before. Like a mysterious curse from the gods, sweeping across humanity to lay them low.

Juno was ready to cry, or pull her hair out with frustration. She was the Avatar! But there was no enemy here she could subdue, no one she could reason with. Only disease and death.

Finally Wan Shi Tong relented. “It seems this disease is outside of my knowledge.” He sounded almost disgruntled. “But there is one other who may know. One other you may ask.”

Juno had perked up, intrigued. “Why haven’t you mentioned this before?”

“Because, unlike what you humans may believe, I do not actually desire your death.” He shook his massive head. “This path will be treacherous, with no guarantee of success. And it will require you to physically enter the spirit world.” He said, shocking her. She hadn’t thought that was possible. “You will need to travel to the lair of Huruosai, the Spirit of Mirrors. He is the oldest spirit I know, and has vast knowledge. Though I must caution you,” he warned, “Hurosai has less love for humans than even I, and will enjoy tricking, even killing you if he can.”

Ultimately she had little choice. If there was even the slightest possibility that this spirit had information on how they could combat the disease, she would have to take the risk. The pandemic had been restricted to the central Earth Kingdom to this point, but it was only a matter of time before it spread. If she couldn’t help find a cure, it could spell the end of humanity.

Wan Shi Tong prepared her as much as possible for her journey, providing a map based on his memories of the Spirit World she would have to traverse and giving her advice on how to deal with Hurosai once she made it to his lair. Then, it was just a matter of convincing her friends and advisors that this was the only clear path before making her way to the previously unknown spirit portal on the summit of Mount Mori, the location of which was also precious knowledge granted to her by Wan Shi Tong. Though, he had made it clear that the knowledge of said portal was information she should take with her to her grave.

At first, the solo journey had felt invigorating. It had been the first time she and Asa had been alone since she had been named as the Avatar almost seven years prior. It also felt _so good_ to finally be doing something productive. Spending her days travelling at her own pace, though admittedly faster than a leisurely outing, and camping under the stars with her faithful leopard-monkey by her side had almost felt like a vacation. Once they finally made it to Mount Mori though, things started to change. 

Climbing her way to the top of the mountain had taken two long days, slowed by the fact that she eventually lost the ability to airbend in the thin atmosphere. Earthbending was also something she tried to avoid doing too much of in an attempt to preserve her energy for when she eventually entered the spirit world. As a born airbender, Juno had always found it slightly more difficult to earthbend, her natural opposite. 

She and Asa finally made it to the summit, and she had taken a moment to drink in the incredible view. Mount Mori was one of the highest peaks in the Caihong Mountain range. It also stood temptingly close to the Eastern Air Temple, and she had more than one passing thought to visit her childhood home and reconnect with some of her earliest mentors and friends.

After taking a moment to admire the view and drink in the cold, thin mountain air, the pair turned to search for the entrance to the spirit portal cave. It ended up being slightly tricky to find, as Wan Shi Tong had warned, the entrance to the cave being an inconspicuous gap between two jutting outcrops of stone.

But find it they eventually did, both squeezing through the gap into the cave.

What they found was a bit of a shock.

It was a lush, verdant garden. The cave opened up to the air above their heads, but the cold temperature and thin air she had gotten used to was missing. Instead, it was as if they had entered into the lush jungles of the eastern Fire Nation. Juno greedily breathed in the extra oxygen and the smell of growing things. 

In the center of the cave stood a majestic cherry tree, in bloom despite the frigid cold outside. The blossom petals drifted sedately down in a lovely imitation of the snow coating the mountainside. The trunk of the tree split close to the base, forming a gateway that was faintly pulsing with light. No difficult guesses as to where in the cave the spirit portal was located.

Juno and Asa took a moment to rest in the shelter of the spirit portal cave, gathering their strength and munching on some nut mix. She still had a healthy store of provisions , but depending on how long the journey to Hurosai’s lair took, she may have to start worrying about gathering some food inside the spirit world. She wasn’t looking forward to that. There could be weird side-effects to eating food from the spirit world since she was from the physical world.

Now, sitting in a towering tree in the middle of nowhere after barely escaping with her skin intact from a horde of monstrous scorpion-spiders, Juno could almost laugh at herself. She had a pretty active imagination and tended to be a worrier, but even she couldn’t have imagined the obstacles she would face almost as soon as she passed through the spirit portal.

Her pack of provisions and her precious airbending glider was probably lying at the bottom of the gorge where the scorpion-spider had ambushed her. That, or they were somewhere inside the cave she had just escaped from. Either way, no more tasty Earth Kingdom nut mixes or trail breads, no glider, and no all-too important spirit world map.

Almost as though summoned by her pessimistic thoughts, Juno’s stomach let out a plaintive grumble. Asa, still tucked under her chin in a loose embrace, lifted his head and chirruped inquiringly at her.

“Ahh, don’t worry about it boy. It won’t kill me to go a little while without food. Anyway we should probably get moving soon. Maybe there’s something around this tree you can scrounge up for us to eat while I go and get my bearings?”

Asa chirruped in assent, then leaped off her to scurry around to the other side of the trunk. Juno got to her feet, took a second to lift her arms in a full-body stretch, her spine cracking, then used a series of airbending jumps to get into the high canopy of the tree they were in.

Emerging out into the bright sunlight, Juno took a look around. 

The forest they were in was dense, and spanned the width of a valley nestled between two mountain ranges. Juno assumed they were within the mountain range she and Asa had been heading towards when they tried to pass over the gorge that resulted in her unfortunate capture via scorpion-spider. It seemed unlikely that the creatures would hunt much further away from their lair then that. If that were the case, then it would be best if they headed north-east, continuing in the direction they had initially been heading in before they were interrupted. 

Juno idly scratched at the back of her head, the sticky residue of the web flaking off in large chunks. She itched everywhere, and felt absolutely disgusting. After she and Asa ate something, she decided that they should take some time and find a river or a pond to wash up in, and then somewhere secure to spend the night. In the morning, they would continue into the mountains, and hopefully reach Hurosai’s lair by late afternoon tomorrow.

That is, assuming her beliefs about where they were are correct, and that she didn’t horribly mess up the orientation of the spirit world map in the first place...and that they didn’t get captured by yet another horde of nightmarish spirits…

Juno sighed, feeling a bit sorry for herself once more, before leaping down from the canopy back to the branch where she had separated from Asa. He wasn’t back yet, so she took the opportunity to rest more against the thick tree trunk.

She rested her eyes and drifted for a moment, trying to keep her thoughts from uselessly cycling through the many problems that could plague them in the next day or so. Fighting her worry, she took a few deep, centering breaths, and fell into a light meditation.

She felt a little better by the time Asa announced his return with a few chirruping trills. She opened her eyes and smiled to see him sit in front of her and delicately lay down a small collection of nuts and mushrooms onto the branch. Luckily, unlike the denizens of the spirit world, much of the flora in the area ended up resembling their counterparts in the physical world, so there were many familiar species of plants that they could forage to eat. Juno was also grateful that Asa was omnivorous, and that they didn’t have to take the time to hunt, an activity Juno still felt conflicted about as a former vegetarian. Though she ate meat now as a result of her exposure to the different cultures and ways of living she had encountered during her Avatar training, the actual act of killing a living creature for food still made her feel a little guilty.

They finished their small meal in silence. Soon, after playfully squabbling over who got the last nut, Juno relented and relinquished it to Asa’s grasping fingers, smiling when he grumbled at her through the crunches coming from his mouth. She then got to her feet and Asa scurried up her side to take his customary position sitting on her shoulder.

After a controlled fall down to the forest floor, Juno set off in a north-easterly direction. She was bone-tired after the ordeal of the day, and felt that it wouldn’t be long before they stopped somewhere for the night. 

About two hours or so passed in quiet travel, with Asa falling asleep draped across her shoulders after a while, his small snores chuffing quietly in her ears as she walked. Finally, just as she had resigned herself to sleeping in a sticky mess, she came across a small stream trickling between the branches of one of the giant trees. Juno gently lifted Asa from her shoulders and placed him on top of a soft pile of leaves before stripping as much of her outerwear as she was comfortable with and scrubbing them, and herself off in the cold water.

The sun had just about finished setting as she finished laying out her clothes against the roots of the tree. She shivered, chilled in the evening air, but grit her teeth and set to building an earth-bended shelter. With the giant roots of the tree acting as a basic frame, a few quick thrusts and firm foot stomps resulted in a secure place to sleep. She gathered some of the dried leaves and fallen dead branches as quickly as she could, the promise of a fire in her shelter motivating her through her exhaustion. After a while, she had a small fire going, quickly heating up the inside of her ‘tent’. She went out briefly to gather Asa’s sleeping form, then went inside her makeshift shelter, earthbending a door behind her. She settled on the soft detritus and leaf bed and tucked Asa under her chin, his soft body and the heat of the fire quickly warming her through. 

After the stress of the day, it was no trouble to fall asleep, despite her many worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are curious about what Asa looks like, Google 'golden snub-nosed monkey', then imagine if a snow leopard had an adorable love-child with one.


	2. Hurosai's Lair

Juno awoke the next morning to Asa shuffling restlessly around their small shelter. The fire had burned low in the night, and the remaining embers glowed weakly in the shallow pit. She lifted her head and squinted against the light filtering through the vent she had made to let the smoke escape.

Pressing the back of her palm against her mouth to stifle a loud yawn, Juno reached out, and with a few gestures, opened their shelter to the outside world. Asa scurried out, while she followed more sedately, sleep clinging to her like the remnants of the scorpion-spider webs she had meticulously washed out the evening prior.

Emerging into the cool morning air, Juno stretched luxuriously, spine popping. There was a thick fog lying low on the forest floor, resisting burning off in the bright sunlight. Drops of dew glistened on the grass and dampened the trunks of the trees. Juno suspected that it had rained last night while she was sleeping. 

Sure enough, when she went to check on the outerwear she had laid out to dry on the thick elevated roots of the nearest tree, they were still wet. It was easily remedied by carefully wicking the water from the fabric with waterbending, something she had been too tired and lazy to do the night before. She did the same with the lingering dampness clinging to the tight leggings and half-sleeve undershirt she had slept in.

Tossing the floating blob of water to the side with a flick of her wrist, Juno quickly donned the rest of her gear. She deftly tightened the ends of the billowy sleeves of her dove-grey over shirt securely into the crease of her elbows, then did the same with the matching short pants just above her knee-length boots. She stroked a hand over the length of the short cape of her over shirt, settling it properly against her torso and tugging the high collar over her neck.

Fully dressed, Juno took a moment to idly trace the embroidered swirl and cloud motifs delicately stitched along the edge of her poncho. They were light blue, the same colour as her airbending tattoos, and in the traditional style of the Western Air Temple. She had the opportunity to visit the other air temples during her travels, and had seen other airbending monks’ tattoo styles. From the bold, stripey style of the eastern airbending monks, to the rather simple line-and-arrow style of the southern airbenders, Juno had always privately thought the style of her own temple was the best. 

Juno then fluidly moved through a few waterbending forms to finish the rather arduous process of getting herself to full wakefulness. She was not a natural morning person, usually only coming fully alert after a nice strong cup of tea, but she was very familiar with needing to overcome her sleepiness because of one obligation or another. The light stretching and exertion required for waterbending forms was perfect for getting her sleepy body to cooperate.

She soon finished, and then turned to collapse the earthen shelter and firepit constructed the prior evening. Asa watched her while perched on a giant root, quietly munching on some nuts. She saw he had gathered a small pile of nuts for her, so once she finished cleaning up the camp site, she went over to eat her portion of the meagre breakfast.

She soon finished, and inwardly sighed at the empty feeling lingering in her stomach. Asa was a great forager due to his delicate nose and nimble fingers, but it was hard for even him to find enough food in their short downtime for them both to eat their fill. If it took them longer than another day or two to reach Hurosai’s lair, Juno would need to hunt or fish. She spared a thought once more to her lost provisions, thinking longingly of the foods she had carefully packed.

“Alright Asa, saddle up”.

Asa climbed to her shoulder, and they moved out. The morning fog was mostly gone by now, though the air maintained the damp smell of petrichor and moldering leaves. The canopy of the forest was thick, with beams of sunlight intermittently piercing through to the undergrowth around them. 

The scale of the forest awed her, something she had been too tired to appreciate the evening prior. Despite the urgency and seriousness of her errand, Juno felt blessed to be walking through a forest that was likely older than the earliest human settlement in the physical world.

They made good time, and the morning passed by without much incident. Only once did Juno and Asa have to take cover in the thick undergrowth as a herd of giant deer-like spirits sedately passed them by. The largest among them was immense, with a majestic crown of antlers covered in trailing mosses and lichen. Juno fought the urge to approach them, but took immense satisfaction in quietly observing their graceful strides.

Through the use of a few wind-wheels to speed their way, Juno and Asa reached the far side of the forest by the time the sun reached its zenith. From where they stopped to take a short rest, Juno could see that the trees continued part way up the side of the mountain, which then stretched up in a steep climb into the clouds above. Hopefully by climbing to the summit, they would be able to determine where the entrance to Hurosai’s lair was. Wan Shi Tong’s map only indicated that it lay within this mountain range, and he had been vague on the details of what to expect, so Juno hoped that it would be obvious.

She whistled shortly to call Asa back from where he had been examining a patch of bright violet flowers. He returned reluctantly to her side. Like her, Asa was curious by nature, and it was hard to ignore the various novelties and distractions the spirit world had to offer. 

They began their assent, and soon even the massively tall trees fell below them. Out of the cover of the canopy, the sun shone brightly upon them. Juno soon worked up a sweat as she used powerful airbending leaps to quickly gain altitude. 

They were roughly two-thirds of the way up the mountain when something caught Juno’s eye. A wide ledge of stone, unnaturally flat among the other jagged outcroppings. Juno leapt onto it, landed, and took a look around. 

It was a great vantage point to see the forested valley below. She was so high up that she was actually looking down on some of the low-hanging clouds as they drifted over the forest.

She turned to face the mountain. The highest section above them was an almost completely vertical climb. To reach the top she would need to start making earthbending ledges to land on. She felt Asa clamber off her shoulder and onto the stone ledge, grumbling to himself quietly. Juno decided to let him walk around a while and stretch his legs. 

She sat cross legged onto the ground, and rolled her neck side to side on her shoulders. She was in pretty good shape, the result of near-constant bending training and intense physical conditioning over several years, but the hard pace she was setting was making her muscles ache regardless.

She flopped down onto her back, and stretched her arms above her head. As she did so, her head almost completely upside down, she caught a glimpse of something that made her blink. She rolled onto her stomach and sat up on her knees.

Nestled in a dark crevice between two jagged stone outcroppings nearby, was the distinctive line of a stairway cut crudely into the rock. She got closer and looked up, and saw that the stairway continued someway up the mountain, zigzagging haphazardly before disappearing into a cave entrance far above them. Now that she had noticed it, Juno could see that it actually descended far below them as well, possibly spanning the entire length of the mountain.

That was a good sign. A path implies something of interest at the end. Hopefully this meant that Horusai’s lair was within reach. Juno was cheered by the discovery, happy that their string of bad luck seemed to be at an end. If she could entreat with the ancient spirit and convince him to provide guidance by the day’s end, she could possibly return to the spirit portal entrance in a matter of days.

Juno briefly let herself imagine returning triumphantly to Ba Sing Se with news of a cure. 

Revitalized, Juno called out to Asa, eager to set out once more. He trotted over, spotted the stairway, and elected to start clambering up on his own steam as opposed to hitching a ride on her shoulder. Juno smiled to herself, and followed behind him, letting him set the pace.

Before long, they reached the cave entrance. It was a wide, gaping mouth of stone teeth, darkly ominous inside. Bordering the entrance, sat two imposing stone carvings. Juno could tell that they were ancient, the features of the slouching figures almost worn entirely away by the elements. All that was distinctly visible were the two outstretched arms and open palms, clearly warding visitors away.

Juno felt a chill travel down her spine. Head full of the reminder that even the tempestuous Wan Shi Tong had warned that Hurosai was especially chaotic, and perhaps even downright malevolent, Juno grit her teeth and went inside.

It was pitch black. Juno lit a small fire in her palm to light their way. Asa returned to her shoulder and gripped her tightly. She could feel his sense of unease.

They went in deeper. Juno could tell that the path was descending slightly, and that they were climbing down into the very heart of the mountain. The way was almost completely silent, no chattering of wolfbats or scurrying of tiny cave-critters, just the constant drip-drip of water trickling down the cave walls. Juno could feel her nerves building. Every shifting shadow was a potential threat, every echo of her steps the footfall of an enemy.

The feeling became worse the further they descended. The unwelcoming air of the cave was oppressive and unnatural. She could feel Asa shuddering on her shoulder, though he didn’t utter a sound.

Turning around a bend, they were met with sudden illumination. Prismatic gemstones were jutting out from the cave walls, and glowing with cold, white light. Shaking the fire from her hand, Juno continued down the path, feeling that they must be getting close.

The crystals quickly grew in size, and soon they were passing around and climbing over outcroppings thicker around than Juno was tall. Jumping down from such a crystal, Juno turned around a bend and was startled to find a face staring back at her.

Juno lept back with a gasp and Asa squealed loudly in her ear.

Hand to her heart, which was pounding hard in her chest, Juno let out a loud breath as she realized it was just her reflection. Looking around, she saw that the surface of the cave was almost entirely covered by crystals at this point, creating hundreds of small mirrors reflecting her pale, startled face back at her. 

Right. Hurosai was supposed to be the ‘spirit of mirrors’. Waving her hand at her reflection, Juno watched as hundreds of other Juno’s returned the greeting.

Asa settled back against her, tucking himself tightly around her neck under the high collar of her poncho. She reached up to pat his scruff and tug at his ears.

“Yeah, this place is giving me the creeps too, buddy.”

He chuffed quietly in her ear in agreement, then fell silent once more.

Pushing on, Juno tried to ignore the sense that they were being watched. She saw eyes everywhere, disturbing her even though they were just her own pale grey eyes reflecting back at her from the depths of countless crystals.

Turning a corner, they suddenly entered into a massive chamber. Some of the crystals were so huge that Juno was certain the imperial palace in Ba Sing Se could have fit inside with room to spare. The air was still, and the pale white light emanating from the crystals was so pervasive that there were almost no shadows.

Juno made her way cautiously forward, eyes peeled for a sign of movement independent of her own twirling reflections. The cave was utterly silent, devoid of life and colour, just pale, cold light.

Juno found herself standing in front of one of the monolithic crystals. The surface was smooth like polished glass, and her reflection was clear as day. It was somewhat of a novelty to have such a clear perception of her own image. Most mirrors that she had seen were imperfect in some way, with the exception of some of the earth kingdom noble estates she had stayed in. The monks didn’t often own mirrors, believing it only promoted feelings of vanity.

Juno’s pale grey eyes gazed back at her tiredly. Her dark shoulder length hair was pulled up in its customary half-do, with thick bangs hanging over her eyes. It desperately needed a good washing, the quick bath in the stream the previous night not enough to cut the natural grease. Her skin was palid, making her many, many freckles stand even more starkly in her complexion, like they needed any help.

She poked at the bags under her eyes and sighed at herself a little, pulling a face. She turned away from the crystal to continue exploring the cave when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something that made her start.

Her reflection had remained still.

Her eyes flashed back to stare at herself, heart in her throat. She lifted a hand experimentally, but the reflection remained still, standing placidly.

Then it smiled.

Thoroughly creeped out, Juno took a few quick steps back. As she retreated, her reflection morphed in front of her, eyes bleeding into black gaping holes and mouth stretching wide into a crazed grin. It stepped forward, breaking free from the confines of the crystalline surface, then stretched, skin bleaching white, limbs elongating, hair growing long to pool at its feet.

At the end of its gruesome transformation, the thing that stood in front of her could have been described as ape like. It was large, and stood stooped over in a loose couch, pale white fur covering most of its body, with the exception of the pitch black hair hanging limply down from its head all the way to the ground. Its face was round and pale, like a doll’s, with pitlessblack eyes taking up nearly half of it, staring blindly out. On its back sat a flat round disk, secured to it by means of a tasseled sash.

_ It has been too long since I received a visitor _

The voice was deep, and rattled around her skull without the grinning mouth moving an inch to form the words. Asa was trembling hard, and squealed loudly in protest, deafening in her ear. She reached up quickly to sooth him, gritting her own teeth at the painful mental intrusion.

She took a breath to calm her racing heart. She didn’t want it to know she was scared.

She sketched a deep bow, hands folded in front of her, paused, then returned to her full height. Respect without subservience was key. She would have to tread very very carefully.

She took a deep breath. “Do I have the honour of speaking with the great spirit Hurosai?” 

_ Yes. And you are the Avatar. _

“Yes.” She tried to copy his speech patterns, which seemed to favour brevity.

_ To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? _

The moment of truth. “I search for knowledge, great spirit. A plague ravages the land in the physical world. I consulted with the knowledge spirit Wan Shi Tong, and he advised that I search out your wisdom for a cure.”

The great white ape lifted its head in a laugh, mouth gaping wide. The sound echoed endlessly in her ears, and she had to fight the impulse to cover them. 

_ That stuffed bird has not sent me a gift in some time. What do you have for me, then? _

A shiver of unease down her back. “I apologize, Hurosai, Wan Shi Tong did not mention that I owed a gift. All I have is a sincere need for your assistance,” she replied hesitantly. 

Hurosai gathered to his full height, towering over her. She tensed, ready to leap back if he attacked.

_ You mortals are so presumptuous. Always asking for help, but offering nothing in exchange.  _ His big eyes stared down at her.  _ No gift? Then you will offer a game. _

He reached behind him with one giant arm while the other one tugged at the tasseled sash around his torso. He brought the giant disc on his back down to rest on the floor on its edge, like balancing a coin. He spun it to face her, and she saw it was a large, ornate silver mirror.

Her reflection was staring back at her, carefully schooled of all emotion. The mirror was strange, reflecting the image of her and Asa without showing their surroundings, as if they were standing in an empty space. She locked eyes with her reflection’s and found that she couldn’t look away.

_ If you can make it through my labyrinth, I will give you the information you seek. But be cautioned, there will be a price to pay. _

With a powerful thrust of his arm, Hurosai spun the mirror. It turned, faster and faster, revealing and concealing her reflection, quicker and quicker, until it was a blur of colour.

_ Do you consent? _

Juno was torn. She felt like she had lost control of the situation before she even entered the cave. It went against all of her instincts to trust Hurosai, who seemed to delight in frightening and disturbing her. If she completed his ‘game’ would he even help her? What she knew of the spirit would suggest that he would feel compelled to honour his word, but there was no guarantee.

Then images of the victims of the plague filled her mind. 

She had no choice. She could not return without a cure. If there was any chance that Hurosai could provide her with it, she would have to take that chance, even if the price was her life. 

“I consent”.

Hurosai’s cold laughter filled her mind once more. And with a flick of his wrist, he flung the mirror towards her.

It happened faster than she could react. The flat face of the mirror struck her body. But when she expected to be thrown back from the impact, it instead passed through her, or rather, she through it. The sensation was akin to plunging into a body of water.

Suddenly, she was falling, tumbling through the air. She twisted her body and tried to get her bearings, but just as suddenly as she started, she hit the ground.

Wheezing, and utterly disoriented, she sat up. She reached up to her shoulder in a panic, but Asa was there, clutching her poncho collar in a deadly grip. 

They were in a prismatic chamber, brightly lit from an invisible source, and composed entirely of mirrors. Everywhere she looked was a different angle of her and Asa sitting together on the floor.

She climbed to her feet. The chamber had only one exit, a passageway that turned a sharp corner to the right. 

Juno tried to gather her thoughts, stroking Asa’s fur reassuringly. It looked like they had been transported into some kind of pocket-realm. Or maybe they were simply trapped inside Hurosai’s giant, silver mirror. The path ahead seemed clear enough, heading in only one direction, but she guessed that it would not be so simple to finish Hurosai’s ‘game’.

She decided not to overthink it, and made her way slowly along the passageway. Once she left the chamber, the going became much narrower, and twisted confusingly in jagged patterns. She soon met the first fork, a choice of four different paths in front of her. She paused, shrugged, took the first left, and continued. 

Left again, then right, then left. There were no distinguishing features that made one way more compelling than another, so she chose at random. At first she kept track of her decisions, then reasoned that there was no need to remember which path she had chosen. It seemed unlikely to be helpful to remember where the starting chamber was, as there had been no exit.

She walked aimlessly for a while, losing track of all sense of time. Then, suddenly, she ran into something. 

She stepped back and rubbed her nose, scowling. Reaching out with her fingers, she met glass. 

_ Ugh, annoying. _ She had gotten so used to avoiding walking into mirrors that the glass wall had taken her entirely by surprise. 

She pivoted and back tracked a little. But where she expected to return to a previous fork, she instead found that the path continued to curve gently to the right.

_ Great, a mirror maze that changes behind you while you walk. And makes you run into sneaky glass walls. Why couldn’t I be dealing with a nice, flower spirit? _

The path suddenly straightened out in front of her, making a hallway with completely parallel mirrored walls. Walking along it slowly, she could see her and Asa’s reflections echoed infinitely in either direction. Asa climbed on her head to get a better look. She turned around slowly, then stopped, taking it in.

_ Okay, that’s kinda cool. _

Her moment of quiet fascination was short lived. As she took a step to continue, chaos broke loose. Each incarnation of her reflection began acting independently of her, some stopping in surprise, some looking around wildly, some taking a few quick steps forward or back. The reflection directly to her right snapped her head back in alarm, then dashed forward as if fleeing an enemy. Juno turned behind her to look and saw a dark shadow dart after it. 

Just then, she heard a thud behind her. Without taking the time to glance back, Juno ran forward, exiting the mirrored hallway into another twisting passage. She moved as quickly as she dared, one arm extended forward, conscious of how the glass wall had taken her by surprise before.

As she wound her way through the maze, she would briefly catch glimpses of other versions of her through glass barriers. Some were walking slowly, but others appeared to be running, like her, pursued by an unknown enemy.

Or perhaps no longer unknown. As she turned a corner, Juno saw through a glass window a version of herself desperately running towards her. It quickly slammed its fist against the barrier between them, mouth open as if crying for help, though no sound reached her. Then, a sudden spray of red splashed against the glass. The body on the other side lurched forward and Juno could see dark protrusions had stabbed through it to pin it against the wall. 

Juno gasped in horror as she watched the body in front of her slide slowly to the floor. Behind it stood a confusing mass of long spiked limbs attached to an amorphous body. It looked like it was made of obsidian glass, and had no face or eyes.

Juno could stand to watch no longer. She turned and ran, heart beating harshly in her ears.

As she went deeper, more horrific visions confronted her. There was a Juno slowly dragging itself along the floor leaving a thick trail of blood behind it, an amputated leg left behind. One made eye contact with her briefly just before it had its head cut off. One, more distressing than the others, was silently sobbing over the bloodied form of Asa. She forced the visions out of her mind, though her stomach was turning in fear and revulsion.

Dashing around a corner, Juno was suddenly confronted with one of the glass monstrosities. It loomed at the end of a short hallway, but once it sighted her, it stalked toward her in pursuit.

She couldn’t turn back. What she had seen across the glass barriers told her that the things could not be outrun. Instead, she forced herself to race and meet it head on.

At the last second, she dove feet first to slide underneath its spindly legs. One snapped down near her stomach to impale her, but she sent a blast of air against the wall to push herself out of the way.

She jumped up on the other side of it and sent a furious firebending assault against its back. She put all her fear and drive to survive into it, trying to melt it down into slag. 

She stopped after a long moment to survey the damage, breathing hard. Steam was rising from the melted hole she had left on its flank. For a moment she felt relieved, but fear stabbed through her once more as she saw the thing begin to repair itself, fractal glass spreading and growing over the wound.

She turned and ran. She hoped that it would be at least slowed down long enough for her to put some distance between them. Despair was settling thick in her stomach. She wondered if this sterile glass realm would become her tomb.

As she turned yet another sharp corner, she spotted an anomaly in the otherwise uniform surface of the mirror maze. It was a glass barrier like ones she had seen before, but where they had opened into other hallways, this one opened out to a ledge of white stone and open to a black sky.

She paused a moment to contemplate it, but didn’t have more than a second before she heard the staccato crashes of the black glass creature following closely behind her. She made a quick decision and rushed towards the glass barrier. Paces away, she heard the creature come up behind her and felt the fiery sting of one of its sharp limbs pierce her thigh.

She tumbled forward, knocked off balance. Her momentum took her the rest of the way to the barrier and without aplomb, she crashed through it in a shower of glass.

She rolled onto her feet and turned as quickly as she could with her injured leg to face the creature. It was lingering in the doorway of the shattered barrier, as though reluctant to come through. Then, it slowly turned and disappeared back into the maze.

Heart pounding, Juno reached up and plucked Asa from her shoulder to cradle him in her arms. He seemed unharmed from their ordeal, although his trembling told her he was as shaken as she felt.

He chattered at her weakly, then jumped down from her arms to prod and coo at her injured leg. She reached down to and peeled her slashed pant leg away from the cut. It was deep enough, halfway down the side of her right thigh, and a steady stream of blood was trickling into her boot. She untied the cloth that fastened her over pants into the crook of her knee and tied it tightly over the cut to help slow the bleeding. Normally, she would be able to use her waterbending to heal it, but the canteen with her water had been lost along with the rest of her gear.

She straightened and looked around them. They were on a ledge almost exactly like the one they had rested on before discovering the staircase that had led to the entrance of Hurosai’s lair. From here, she could see that the maze they had been in was in fact the interior of a mountain made of crystal and glass, but otherwise identical to the one they had ascended just a few hours prior. The rest of the landscape was featureless and black.

Well, there was no way she was heading back inside. Peering over the edge of the ledge, she could see faint movement at the base of the mountain. Hopefully it wasn’t more of the black glass monsters, since the one chasing her didn’t seem to be able to come outside.

She had Asa return to her shoulder, and then carefully used airbening assisted jumps to descend the side of the mountain. It was made difficult by the injury on her thigh, and she felt a sharp stab of pain every time she landed a jump, but Juno just grit her teeth and continued as fast as she could.

Just before they alighted on the ground, Juno saw what she had been too far away to see before. It made her halt in surprise.

The things that she had seen moving around from afar were...her.

They were Juno's. About a dozen, milling around or sitting on the ground. One of them spotted her and waved in a gesture to approach.

She did so, cautiously, making the final jump to the ground. As she alighted, the rest of them looked in her direction. They were in various states of disarray. One was getting a makeshift bandage tied securely around its head by another, blood caked down the side of its face. One was cradling her side as if they had some broken ribs. There were other Asa’s too, running around chaotically. After a quick count, Juno was relieved to find that there seemed to be an equal number of Asa’s to Juno’s, no one person missing their animal partner.

Juno surveyed them quietly, then broke the silence tentatively.

“Well, I’ve always wondered what I looked like from behind.”

The one who had waved her down sighed tiredly and shook her head. “You’re the third one who’s said that.”

A few of the other Juno’s smiled sheepishly, and Juno felt her own faint blush, then reasoned that it would be silly to feel embarrassed at a predictable joke when the audience was just other versions of herself. She limped over to more fully join the group, all the while wondering when her life had become so weird.

She sat on the edge of a small crystal protrusion, and another Juno came over to check her injury. There wasn’t much more they could do for it without water and more bandages, so she just decided to rest while they had a moment.

“What are we waiting for?” She asked the Juno who had come over to check on her. Her counterpart shrugged, eyes shaded in discomfort.

“I think we’re waiting for the rest of us to make it out. That or...not make it out.” 

They were quiet, no doubt each thinking of what they had witnessed in the maze. Juno had hoped that what she had seen through the glass barriers had merely been illusions to scare her, but seeing other versions of herself in flesh and blood out here seemed to disprove that. It brought a whole new level of horror to think of the Juno’s and Asa’s that had been gruesomely killed in front of her.

She dropped her head into her hands and let out a hard breath. Her limbs were trembling, adrenaline slowly leaving her system. All she could feel was her ravenous hunger and the pain in her leg and her heart. She felt like she was on the edge of collapse.

Over the next half hour or so, two more Juno and Asa’s jumped down to join their group. Chatting was kept to a minimum since they were all exhausted and it was just too weird to try and think of things to talk to yourself about. The Asa’s didn’t seem to have the same problem, many of them chattering with and grooming each other, or chasing one another in a game of tag.

One last pair landed somewhat ungracefully on the ground due to another leg injury. As soon as they joined the rest of the group with yet another dumb joke, a rumbling sounded from the mountain.

They all tensed. The Asa’s who had been chasing each other in play moments before all squeaked in alarm and rushed to pair up with a Juno, some accidentally climbing two or three leopard-monkeys to one human before leaping to find another. 

They all watched in apprehension as a section of the crystal from the base of the mountain seemed to break away. The mass fractured and morphed, shifting until it settled into the dreaded, yet familiar form of Hurosai.

The great spirit turned its pitless eyes onto their group. Its eerie laughter echoed through their minds.

_ Well, more of you made it out that I expected, well done. _

Almost simultaneously, they stiffened in affront. The Juno nearest to the large spirit stepped forward after glancing at the rest of them.

“What are you talking about, you bastard? Was this all some kind of game to you?” She shouted. It seems as though they were over trying to be diplomatic.

_ I told you there would be a price. You consented to the test. Surely you knew that the price could have been your life. _

The Juno in front quieted, shoulders slouching in defeat. It was true that she had known the stakes going in. But she hadn't expected to have to pay it again and again as different versions of herself died in front of her eyes.

“Well, are you satisfied then? And are you going to put us back together?”

_ You have completed the test to my satisfaction. I will provide you with my knowledge of the disease when we return to the spirit realm. But… _ His big head swiveled to gaze at each of them.  _ The fracturing cannot be undone. You passed through the infinite hall. Destroying your counterparts now would be akin to murder, which I will not do now that you have completed my game. I will leave what will be done to you. _

He sat primly on the ground, crossing his legs into a classic meditative pose.

The Juno in front tugged at her hair in frustration. The rest of them glanced warily at each other. “What do you mean what will be done? What can be done? You expect fourteen Avatars to return to Ba Sing Se together? How can that even be possible?”

Hurosai shook his head 

_ It is not possible, only one may return. _

Dread pooled in her gut. Juno rose from her seated position despite the tug on her wound. The other Juno similarly pulled themselves up, sensing yet more trouble.

“Then what do you expect us to do?” the other Juno asked in despair.

_ You must decide who will return. The others may exit through other portals, or choose to die here.  _

“Other portals?”

_ Yes. My mirror can pierce many dimensions. As a reward for completing the maze, I will allow each of those who remain behind to leave into a new world.  _ He paused.  _ I will even send you to a world where other humans dwell. I cannot promise that it will be good or safe there, but you will at least have a chance to survive. _

Silence descended. It seemed a crueler task than when he had sent them into the maze. Out of fourteen survivors, only one pair would be able to return to their home world. The others would be cast out into the unknown, possibly to die, and certainly to never return.

They looked at each other in anguish, not one of them willing to make the decision. As long as no one spoke, they could all pretend hat they were the ones that would be going home.

Finally, Juno sighed. She turned to their unofficial spokesperson, and, feeling her heart breaking all the while, said: “It might as well be you.”

That Juno started, then looked at each of them with guilt. “I…”

Juno turned toward Hurosai. “Alright, the decision is made, now what?”

The spirit lifted his arm in a sweeping motion. Fourteen mirrors appeared in the air around them, surfaces shimmering faintly. He pointed at the one nearest him.

_ This one will return you to the spirit realm. _

He said no more, merely arose from his seated posture and ambled over to the mirror himself, passing through it until all that remained were ripples.

They were quiet once more. As a group, they turned to look at the Juno who had been selected to return. She was trembling slightly, likely in relief though she was trying to hide it from them. 

Then, her back straightened. She took a few measured steps towards the mirror Hurosai had disappeared into before turning to face them. She looked into each one of their faces, as if memorizing them, even though they were identical to her own.

“Thank you,” she said simply. There was nothing else to say. She would know what was passing through the minds of each incarnation. Resignation, fear, and deep, deep sadness.

Then: “Good luck”. She turned, and without further ado, walked through the mirror.

Juno sighed once more, staring at the rippled surface of that portal, and watched as it slowly faded away. She didn’t look at the other Juno’s, not needing to see the despair and dread in their faces, since she felt it drum through her own being.

Limping forward, Juno chose the mirror closest to her. She heard several others do the same, some reaching their destinations before her, and disappearing. She paused briefly once she reached it, and felt Asa wrap his arms securely around her neck. 

Then she stepped through.


	3. The Land of Waves

A warm breeze tousled Juno’s hair. She was squatting beside a fire, gently adjusting the angle of the fish-spits stuck in the ground. The sun was shining through the canopy of leaves overhead, and it was actually warm enough that she had started to work up a seat inside her poncho before removing her outer layer in concession to the heat.

The warm, sunny weather was a welcomed respite. Wherever she had ended up, it was a wet country. Almost a solid week and a half of rain and overcast skies had set the tone of her entry to her new home.

In a way, it had felt appropriate. The rain had made a good partner to her gloomy mood. Juno had spent the first few days after her arrival oscillating between sulking in depression and sobbing in abject grief. Asa had been somewhat of a comfort, but even his cheery disposition could not cure that ailment.

After a few days of self-indulgent, emotional wallowing, Juno had finally felt the urge to move on somewhat. She had exited the portal into a dense forest with a vaguely tropical air, mostly deciduous trees with some palms. She hadn’t moved far from that location at first, reluctant to venture from the location the portal had brought her to, even though it had faded away almost as soon as she had exited it. Eventually, she brought herself to explore around the nearby area and discovered she was on a mostly uninhabited island surrounded by mangrove trees in a brackish lagoon.

It was only mostly uninhabited, as she had discovered a small fishing shack with an attached dock on the afternoon of the third day. It was shabby looking, made of wood panels and corrugated metal plates. She watched cautiously from afar for several hours and decided it was probably empty, but the sight of it was somewhat of a reassurance. Hurosai had promised that the worlds they were going to were populated by humans, but she hadn’t been that inclined to trust his word after what happened. 

She eventually poked around the shack, trying to see if she could find any useful information. The door had been unlocked, and it sparsely furnished inside. It clearly wasn’t a residence, or at least wasn’t currently being used that way, since there was no bed, just a few rickety chairs and a cooking area. It wasn’t overly dusty though. This told her that she was likely within a days travelling distance to a human settlement, and that this was a frequently used shack to spend the day at before returning home to sleep.

There were a few other interesting finds that puzzled and excited Juno. One was a stack of books she had found on an upturned crate. Well, she thought they were ‘books’, but they weren’t like any she had seen before. They were made entirely of brightly coloured pictures on highly glossy paper. The pictures were fantastically realistic, rendered in impossibly detailed accuracy that made Juno feel like she was looking through a window. She spent close to two hours flipping through them to marvel at the scenes. They almost completely involved fishing in some form, many portraying different kinds of strange equipment, fishing rods, and clothing the likes of which Juno had never seen before. 

The last picture book in the pile was composed entirely of pictures of scantily clad women in seductive poses. 

She thumbed through that one with as much interest as the fishing books, though she was definitely blushing. The women were wearing a variety of very revealing clothing, and all were very well endowed and had exotic hair colours, like green and blue. Juno found herself wondering if this was an indication of current fashions, and if the hair colours were naturally occurring. It seemed unlikely on the first front, as many of the outfits seemed very impractical. As for the second, she supposed there could very well be people here with green and blue hair.

Tugging absentmindedly on a lock of her own dark brown hair and thinking of her own modest curves, Juno privately hoped that she wouldn’t stand out too horribly.

The cooking area held a few other interesting discoveries, such as the packaged goods she found in the cupboards. There were boxes of dried biscuits, and brightly coloured tin cans that showed pictures of delicious looking noodle and rice dishes on them. Juno was tempted to try and figure out how to eat them, but was a little conflicted about stealing someone else’s food. It was doubly tempting, as she was heartily sick of eating grilled fish, which was all she had felt confident enough to eat without knowing the local flora.

She did give in a little and she and Asa shared a biscuit together. He grumbled about getting only the one, but she didn’t want to resort to stealing if she could get away with it. It was pretty stale and kind of bland, but it was such a welcomed alternative to fish that she was tempted to eat the whole box.

She carefully returned everything to how they had found it before leaving. Her discoveries were confusing to say the least. She had initially thought the shack belonged to someone poor because of the state of disrepair it had been in, but the picture books and foodstuff inside seemed kind of luxurious to her. Maybe they were so commonplace here that even the poor could afford them? It seemed unlikely, but she didn’t have any way of knowing for sure right now.

It didn’t take long after that before Juno got her first glimpse of people. Two men had come in on a boat the morning after and spent the day fishing off the end of the dock. The boat had fascinated her, despite the bleakness of her overall mood. It was wooden, and shaped like a normal boat, but appeared to be propelled by a loud, metal contraption at the stern. She recognized it as one she had seen in the picture books.

The men had looked normal enough. One was middle aged and one was younger, with enough of a resemblance that Juno assumed they were related in some way. They were dressed in drab, simple clothing, and both wore conical paddy-hats to keep the rain off their heads. She was relieved to see that they both had dark brown hair and regular body proportions.

When they loaded their catch onto their boat and left the shack at the end of the day, Juno followed at a discreet distance, keeping pace while water-bending on an ice floe. The route took them past several other small islands, revealing that they were actually in an archipelago. They headed south a ways, and Juno made sure to stay out of sight, which became more difficult as they encountered other fishing vessels.

Eventually, she abandoned her pursuit. Following them had led her to wider and more populated waterways, and it didn’t take her long before finding a large human settlement.

It was, to Juno’s eyes, a large town. It was built right up to the water, with buildings similar in style to the fishing shack she had seen. It was fairly tidy looking, although it looked like the town had once been more prosperous. There were solid stone bridges and many two-story buildings, but the paint was peeling on most of them and roof’s were being repaired with metal sheets instead of split tiles. Confusingly, there were many tall poles and ropes located around the town. Juno couldn’t imagine what they were for.

Since then, she had been procrastinating what to do as her next course of action. Juno knew that she would eventually have to venture into town and talk to someone. She knew she shared a common language with these people, as the words on the picture book were in the trade tongue commonly used throughout the world she had come from, but she was intimidated nonetheless. How on earth would that conversation go?

Hello, I’m Juno. I’m the Avatar, and I’m from a different world. Nice to meet you.

Yeesh. As the Avatar, she had been trained in how to deal with many types of diplomatic situations with grace and poise. But, she had no such training for how to have that sort of conversation. So here she was, eating grilled fish once more and twiddling her thumbs.

The sun was dancing on the surface of the water, which was flowing sedately towards the sea. They were currently camped on the river bank, about a stone’s throw away from a wide, well-worn dirt path leading into the town. She wasn’t making any real effort to conceal them at this point, kind of hoping that someone would approach their camp and take the whole matter out of her hands. With the birds chirping and a slight breeze to cool the sweat on the back of her neck, it was at least relaxing to wait around.

At least, until the fog rolled in.

It was so sudden. One moment, she was enjoying the sunshine, the next, she could barely see the other side of the river. Rocking back on her heels, slightly on edge, Juno glanced behind her to check on Asa, who was currently trying to supplement his otherwise monotonous diet with some tasty bugs.

Looking back over the river, Juno was startled to see the sudden appearance of a tall, strangely dressed man on the water. He was facing away from her, toward the other riverbank, with one arm extended over his head. Then as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished.

Juno got to her feet. It had happened so fast she wasn’t sure of what she had seen. Was it some kind of apparition or spirit? She hadn’t seen any evidence of supernatural beings anywhere yet, but that was no reason to think they didn’t exist here.

She was uneasy. There was a strange feel to the air. An oppressive, chilling aura that had rolled in with the fog. She heard Asa come up behind her, quickly clambering up onto her shoulder to tug at her ear.

“Yeah, I know buddy, I can sense it too.” She patted at him distractedly.

She was still for a moment, considering. Then, with a small decisive nod to herself, she crouched down to move the fish away from her fire, grabbed her poncho, and stood to leave.

“Lets go check it out.”

Juno quickly summoned an ice floe to surf silently to the other side of the river, further downstream from where she had seen the brief glimpse of the figure. Reaching the shore, she carefully made her way through the brush towards where she had seen him, nearer to the village path.

She paused when she heard sounds of a fight. She signalled to Asa to take to the trees above them and hide. He peeped quietly in her ear, and she watched out of the corner of her eye as his form melted into cloud-cover, his white, spotted fur shifting to blend almost seamlessly into the background. Totally camouflaged, his leaping form just looked like a slight blur against the tree trunk.

She creeped forward the remainder of the way, and peered around a thick tree trunk towards the main path.

There were six people, three adults and three children. The kids wore brightly coloured clothing, one, a girl, even sporting bright pink hair like the kind she had seen in the picture book. They were surrounding an old man who was more plainly dressed, with a paddy-hat, spectacles, and a towel around his neck. They all wore large packs, as if travelling a long distance.

Juno was only able to glean these few details before her attention snapped to the two remaining figures. They were two tall men, one, masked with silver hair, and the other with cow-hide sleeves and leggings and a bandage wrapped around his face. They were currently locked in combat, with the bandaged man swinging around a frankly huge sword.

Juno tried to assess the situation. She didn’t want to intervene unless she understood what was going on. Her instinct was to help the old man and the children, who were currently all wielding knives and in a defensive formation. Clearly, one of the two men was attacking the group, and the other was defending, but which one was it? And should she intervene even if she could determine who the instigator is? She had no context for what was going one. She could make a potentially fatal mistake and engage the wrong person or just make the situation worse. Plus, she had no idea how these men, clearly warriors, fought. Did they have bending like she did? Other strange abilities? It could be potentially disastrous for her to underestimate an enemy.

Suddenly, the silver-haired man was thrown into the water by a massive kick to the chest. He scattered metal spikes to the ground before going under, but that didn’t stop the other man for long. He just leapt over them in a graceful arc to alight on the river. When the silver-haired man emerged, sputtering through his mask, his enemy was already looming behind him. Juno saw his hands move in strange configurations startlingly fast and then heard:

“Heh, fool. Water Prison Jutsu!”

“No!”

In an instant, a large sphere of water appeared, encasing the silver-haired man inside. The water swirled around him, kept aloft by one of the bandaged man’s muscular arms.

Juno couldn’t help the startled gasp that escaped her, though luckily it appeared no one noticed with the excitement of the battle. 

Was that bending? If so, it wasn’t like any kind she had seen before. The man had summoned a water sphere with only a few gestures of his hands, not with sweeping arms and legs like she would have expected of a typical bender. And what was with the incantation? Water prison something? Was it a spell then? How was he maintaining it without moving?

She was distracted by the sight when she clued in to hear the bandaged man say “...I’ll finish you off later. But first, your little friends will have to be eliminated.”

“Water Clone Jutsu”

Juno was startled once more when a perfect copy of the bandaged man appeared suddenly on the banks of the river, facing the children and the old man. Well, at least that answered the question about who was the aggressor in this situation. But Juno was torn. The skills displayed in the short time she had been watching were like nothing she had imagined was possible. She was normally very confident in her prowess as a warrior, but she wasn’t sure if she could even take this guy.

The bandaged man’s copy addressed the children: “You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja…?” What followed was a frankly terrifying speech filled with gore and violence clearly meant to intimidate his foes. Juno wasn’t sure if it was working on the kids, but it was definitely working on her.

She teetered on her toes, conflicted now more than ever. This guy was clearly seriously disturbed, and was obviously targeting the kids and the old man with the intent to kill. Could she really just sit by and watch? All her training as the Avatar compelled her to act in their defence, but should she with so little information?

In a flash, the man’s copy disappeared, only to quickly reappear and strike one of the kids, a yellow-haired boy in a garishly orange jumpsuit. He flew through the air, headband flying off his head, and struck the ground hard. Juno flinched and heard the pink-haired girl cry out a name in fear.

“You’re just brats.” The bandaged man taunted.

The silver-haired man growled and called out from the water prison. 

“Listen! Get the bridge builder and run! You can’t win this fight. He’s using all his power to keep me in this prison, so he can only fight you with his water clone, but the clone can’t go far from his real body. If you get away from him, he can’t follow. Now run!

Before Juno knew it, she was moving forward. The man’s passionate speech broke through her indecisiveness and spurred her into action. Rolling in on a summoned air-wheel, Juno called out a warning:

“All right, I’ve heard enough!”

She quickly landed in front of the children and the old man and fell into a classic bending stance, arms up and facing her foe. The children behind her gasped in surprise, but the bandaged man just surveyed her without any outward sign of alarm.

“Huh, who are you?”

“Just call me a concerned citizen.”

“This is none of your business, woman. If you value your life, you’ll walk away now.”

It was too late for that now. Even if she did walk away, she doubted that he would want to leave a witness to what would surely be several murders. She was all in.

“Sorry, I just don’t like the idea of letting some bully pick on a bunch of kids and an old man.”

“Hey, Lady! Watch out, this guy is bad news!”

Juno inclined her head to the one who spoke without taking her eyes off the copy. It was the kid with yellow hair and the riotously bold orange jumpsuit. “I can handle myself.”

The copy growled. “We’ll see.”

It dashed towards her faster than she could blink. She bent backward, almost in half, to avoid getting cut in two by a slash of the giant sword. She reached back with one arm to brace herself on the ground, and used her momentum to launch a high kick to his head. He jerked his head back, easily avoiding the strike. But he didn’t avoid her follow up strike. Drawing from a large puddle of water beside them, Juno threw her legs all the way over into a flip to land upright, then swept her arms forward to launch a whip of water in a direct hit to his midsection.

The copy staggered back from the impact.

“Woah, what was that?” She ignored the loud exclamation from one of the kids.

Her target was looking at her warily, but she didn’t give it much chance to rest. She launched a rapid water bending assault, winding her arms in widely spinning circles and sending forward slice after slice of water from the puddle in the ground. The copy had to quickly backtrack to avoid getting hit. It crouched, legs poised to leap away, but Juno targeted the water now surrounding it’s feet to freeze it to the ground with a sharp gesture.

Juno straightened and lowered her arms to her side. But before she could relax, with what must have been a massive amount of strength, the copy broke free from the ice. 

Right, the thing lugs around a sword longer than she was tall. Obviously it would be strong enough to break out of a little ice prison.

Juno changed tactics. She stomped a foot to the ground and summoned a few large rocks to float at shoulder height in front of her. She lowered into a deep earthbending stance and began to punch powerfully out in front of her to launch them towards her target. She was aiming for his head. If she couldn’t trap him, she would have to knock him out.

He deftly dodged her projectiles, or used his massive sword to knock them out of the way. He then started to run towards her, sword pulled back and poised to swing. Eyes opening wide, Juno stomped forward and sent an angled stone column straight out of the ground in front of her to strike him in the head.

To her shock, instead of falling unconscious, the man burst into a spray of water and scattered onto the road.

She jerked back with a cry of surprise: “What the — !”

She heard the kids behind her shout out triumphantly. The loud one in orange yelled at her again.

“Now get the real one!” She glanced back and saw him gesturing wildly towards the two men on the water. 

She looked towards them, and saw them both staring wide-eyed back at her. Juno gave a small inward shrug, In for a copper piece, in for an ingot, swept a leg behind her to brace against the ground, then swung around to launch the stone column toward the enemy on the water.

He dodged to the side at the last second, and in doing so released the water sphere trapping the other man.

She fell back into a wide stance, arms up and ready. The bandaged man spun wildly to face her, eyes bulging in anger. He drew his sword up and began to charge at her, yelling “I’ll destroy you!”.

He only made it a few steps before he had to dodge to the side when the water beneath him exploded upward. The silver-haired man who had been trapped within the sphere of water shot forward, growled threateningly. He reached out and halted the swing of the sword with the metal plates on the back of his gloves. Juno could see a small stream of blood leak down from his hand as they stared off, locked together.

A feminine gasp behind her “Kakashi-sensei!”

It was a tense stand-off as the two men remained temporarily still. The silver-haired man’s arm shook slightly in an effort to stave off the sword, but he angled his head casually towards her.

“Thanks.” He said dryly.

“Don’t mention it.”

“I don’t suppose I could get you to watch over my comrades while I take care of this, could I?”

Juno looked over to the children, who had gathered around the old man once more. 

Reaching down, she picked up the blue, cloth headband that had fallen off the yellow-haired one. She walked over to them and tossed it towards him. He snatched it out of the air and hastily re-tied it on his head

“Uh, alright.” She matched his deliberately casual tone.

If he wanted to take over, that was more than fine by her.

He nodded towards her, then turned his attention back to the bandaged man. 

“Your technique worked on me once, but it won’t work again.”

“Humph.”

“So, what’s it gonna be?”.

The man just grunted, then bore down on his sword to press harder against the silver-haired one’s defence. The other man grunted in pain, arm shaking in the effort to keep him away. Then, with a powerful thrust of his arm, he sent the sword spinning away from him in a wide arc.

They leapt apart, alighting on the surface of the water several paces away.

Juno watched in cautious fascination as the rest of the battle played out. It involved a lot of hand signing and chanting, and dramatic elemental attacks. Twice, she had to bend waves of water away from herself and the group behind her as their battle spilled over to affect the area around them.

Juno was content to stay back and let the two warriors battle it out. She had gotten lucky in her battle against the clone. She surprised him with her bending ability and had defeated it mostly through the speed of her assault. She had been fortunate that he hadn’t tried using any of these strange elemental attacks against her, as she wouldn’t have known what to expect or how to respond. It was such a strange mode of combat. She decided to pay as close attention as possible.

During a sudden lull in the fight, the two combatants suddenly leapt apart again, then circled each other.

“He’s not just following. He’s moving the same way at the same time!” The old man exclaimed behind her.

“How’s he doing that? How Sasuke?” That was the girl’s voice. Well, at least she wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand what was going on. Maybe the fight happening in front of them wasn’t typical of normal people. In a way the thought was slightly reassuring.

With the lull can some typical taunting and mind-games. Juno found it a little difficult to tear her attention away from their actions to listen to what they were saying, but she tried her best.

“...going to do next?” that was from the silver-haired man. “It makes you furious, doesn’t it?” he taunted.

“Huh. All you’re doing is copying me like a monkey!” from the bandaged man

Then, strangely, from both simultaneously: “You can’t beat me with cheap tricks! I’ll crush you!”

A growl in frustration. “When I finish with you, you’ll never open that monkey mouth again!”

Juno only had a moment to feel affronted on Asa’s behalf at the implication that there was something wrong with being a monkey. She saw them make more patterns with their hands, and braced herself for another strange attack.

“Water style: Giant vortex Jutsu!”

If Juno had thought that the water dragon attack from before was big, this one was on a whole different level. A huge swirling vortex of water shot through the forest, strong enough to tear up a few unlucky trees in its path. The other man was quickly engulfed in the water, and was swept under. Juno braced against thel once more to stave off the attack from reaching the bystanders she was watching over. She hoped desperately that Asa hadn’t gotten caught in the cross-fire.

When the waters receded, Juno could see that the silver-haired man had pinned the other man to a tree with several small knives.

It looked like the battle was over. Juno took the momentary reprieve as an opportunity to whistle sharply for Asa. Her eyes scanned the surrounding forest intently before sighting a tell-tale distorted blur approaching quickly between a few nearby branches. Juno sighed with relief before turning her attention back to the fight.

In the few moments her attention was diverted, another warrior had apparently appeared and killed the downed man with a few well-thrown needles. It was a short, masked figure in robes similar to styles she had seen amongst earth kingdom citizens.

From the exchange that followed, Juno learned that the figure was some kind of bounty-hunter. It appeared as through the bandaged man had been a fugitive, or a renegade. It made her feel a little more confident in her decision to intervene in the fight. 

The yellow-haired boy was clearly disturbed at what had happened. It made Juno suspect that he had never been in a battle before. His reaction wasn’t surprising, considering he was probably no older than 12 or 13. On the other hand, he seemed upset mostly because the kid had taken down their enemy so easily, not that it had happened at all.

Juno watched as the silver-haired man approached him, hands in his pockets. 

“In this world, there are kids who are younger than you, and yet stronger than me.” Now that was a terrifying thought. Just what kind of world had she ended up in?

The masked child disappeared from his perch on the branch, only to reappear next to the bandaged man’s body. With apparent ease, he slung the corpse over his shoulder and left them with some parting words:

“Your struggle is over for now. I must deal with the remains. There are many secrets in this body. They must not be allowed to get into the wrong hands.” 

He paused. “Please excuse me. Farewell.” They both disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

The yellow-haired boy was still agitated, stalking around, then punching the ground in anger. The silver-haired man walked over and stopped him with a conclusive remark: “As ninja, the things we encounter are never easy. Save your anger for the next enemy.”

He turned to Juno. “Thanks for your assistance. We would have been in real trouble back there.”

“Uh, I was glad to help.”

“Yeah, that was so cool what you did before! The tricks with the water and the rocks! Like, woah!” The yellow-haired boy cried out.

Yeesh, that was quite the emotional flip. One second he’s punching the ground in anger, the next, he’s turned a megawatt grin in her direction. The whiplash made her blink. 

“Thanks.”

The silver-haired man took a step in her direction, then suddenly froze, eyes wide. Juno watched, taken aback, as he slowly toppled forward in a collapse.

The children around her all gasped and ran towards him.

“What happened?”

“Kakashi-sensei?”

Juno approached the fallen form of their comrade, and reached down to check his pulse. To her relief, a steady beat met her fingers. She lifted the lid of his single exposed eye and lit a tiny flame on the tip of one finger to check his pupillary response. Swinging her finger back and forth, she was glad to see his eye respond normally.

She sensed the children and the old man waiting behind her for a verdict. She rocked back on her heels and turned to face them.

“It looks like nothing is wrong. I’m not sure what happened…”

The pink-haired girl tapped a finger to her chin. “It might be chakra-exhaustion. We learned about it in the academy. Kakashi-sensei would have used a lot of chakra just now in that fight. Maybe he used too much?”

Chakra exhaustion…? She looked down to still figure below her. She had extensive healing training from the water bending masters of the southern water tribes. She could help heal broken bones and close gaping wounds given enough time, but she couldn’t heal something she had never heard of before. 

“Let's move him to my house. I bet he’ll be right as rain with a little rest and food in him.” The old man said decisively. He looked at her pointedly.

Juno sighed. She guessed she couldn’t leave the task of carrying an unconscious person to an old man and some children. Before she moved to pick him up, she turned to face the trees and gave a short whistle. Asa quickly emerged from the forest cover, fully visible, having shed his cloud-cover.

The others gasped at his appearance, but quickly overcame their startlement. The pink and yellowed-haired kids cooed and cried at Asa, and he quickly diverted his path towards her to go beg for attention and cuddles. She watched him affectionately as he clambered onto the head of the yellow-haired boy to tug at his bright locks. Seeing the ease with which he interacted with the children relaxed her somewhat. Asa was an excellent judge of character.

She laughed at their antics. “That’s Asa. Watch out if you have any food on you, he can open pockets pretty easily.” Instead of heading her warnings, the pink-haired girl merely handed Asa some dried fruits from her backpack. Juno’s own stomach rumbled at the idea of the snack, but she wasn’t about to go climbing on people’s heads to beg for anything.

She reached down and slung the silver-haired man’s still form over her shoulder. He was almost a head taller than her, so it was an uncomfortable hold. She hoped the old man didn’t live too far away.

“Where to?”

“Not far, just a little further along this path.”

They set off together down the dirt path towards the main village, Asa still hitching a ride on the yellow-haired boy’s head. Almost as soon as they started walking, Juno was inundated with introductions and questions about herself. She dodged most of their questions, but tried to pay close attention to details they revealed about themselves. They were Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna. The man she was carrying was Kakshi, their teacher. They were on a mission escorting Tazuna to his home. There was some kind of problem with people targeting him.

When Naruto started detailing the finer points of their mission, he was promptly smacked on the side of his head by Sasuke.

“Idiot. You can’t go around telling strangers about the secrets of our missions. She could be anyone, including an enemy nin. She could even be in league with Zazbuza.” He gave her a stink eye from where he was walking alongside her. Juno guessed that he wasn’t too concerned about that possibility, or she doubted he would allow her to continue with them. But it was also the first time she had heard him speak up since they started walking. She decided to treat his concern seriously.

“If that were the case, what would stop me from killing your teacher while he was unconscious? And then just killing the rest of you while I’m at it?”

“Hmph.” Well, no attempt to claim that they could stop her. Juno supposed her display during the fight was impressive enough to convince them of her prowess as a warrior.

There was a slight lull in conversation as they continued forward. Juno was focusing her energy on carrying the man slung over her shoulders, feeling her muscles already start to protest. Naruto and Sakura were still fussing over Asa, who was trying to leap from one brightly haired head to another as they walked, to their delight. Sasuke kept to her side, keeping a vigilant watch over the unconscious form of their teacher. As they approached his home, Tazuna began whistling a jaunty tune.

In the still moment, Juno turned her mind to the events of the afternoon. The excitement of the battle and the strangeness of the events that followed still burned though her thoughts as they walked. Still, she couldn't help but be deeply relieved. After almost two weeks of solitude, both through her travels in the spirit world and the early days of her time here, she was finally surrounded by people again. Despite her endless questions and anxieties about her situation and the future, Juno couldn’t help but feel buoyed by the colourful company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to make sure that this story doesn't turn out to be a complete re-hash of canon. I have plans to stick pretty close to the plot up till the Chunnin exams, but after that we will see some pretty major deviations. Juno will not be content to sit back and be a passive player. I hope you like what she brings to the table!


	4. The Forest of Chi

The following morning found Juno sitting placidly atop the windmill adjacent to Tazuna’s stately two-story home. She was in a meditative pose, legs crossed and her hands in a shuni mudra form - her middle fingers touching her thumbs. It was a pose meant to heighten intuition and provide clarity and insight into your next steps. Unfortunately, she wasn’t having much luck on that front.

Juno opened her eyes and lifted her mind from the meditative trance. Listening to the cry of seagulls and the lapping of the waves, she gazed out over the water towards Tazuna’s massive bridge and sighed as she continued to ponder her current predicament.

After delivering her unconscious cargo safely inside Tazuna’s home and healing his injured hand, Juno had been invited alongside the others to stay for dinner and spend the night. The prospect of eating something besides fish had made Juno tempted to kiss their host, Tsunami, right on the mouth with gratitude. The temptation to sleep somewhere with clean sheets and a soft pillow also proved too difficult to resist.

Besides, it wasn’t as though Juno had anywhere to be.

Watching Tsunami prepare their dinner with the strange kitchen implements was an exercise in restraining her curious nature. Instead of a wooden stove, there was a big metal box with heated discs on top to cook over. Juno was burning to know how it worked, but didn’t want to make her ignorance so obvious by outright asking.

She had a feeling she was failing miserably on that front. Despite being children, her ninja companions were highly observant. Sasuke in particular watched her like a sparrowhawk all evening. She was sure he noticed when she had hesitated, watching carefully how Sakura operated the water faucet to wash up before dinner, before going to do the same. She hadn’t realized that the position you placed the nozzle in affected the temperature of the water, and had proceeded to nearly scald her hands, flinching in surprise. He hadn’t said anything to her yet about it, likely not quite sure enough on what to make of her.

Sakura had definitely caught on about her strange behaviour as well. That was mostly due to the fact that Juno had to ask for help on how to operate the ‘shower’ - which was a miraculous invention and quite frankly almost made the trauma of getting forcefully booted into another world worth it. The look Sakura had given her was one of abject disbelief, like the idea of not knowing how to use a shower was more strange than the bending techniques Juno had used in front of her earlier that afternoon.

Naruto was the only one who seemed ignorant of anything strange about her. He was so loud and rambunctious that Juno would be surprised if he had the ability to notice anything around himself at all. He definitely challenged her preconceptions about what a ‘ninja’ was supposed to behave like. She liked him though, he had a profound sense of the ridiculous that Juno found highly amusing. He had wanted to prank their teacher while he was unconscious by drawing some pictures on his face, but the other two worked together to convince him not to.

In a way, he seemed like the youngest of the group, maintaining a sense of childhood innocence that Juno was cheered to see. For all that they were supposedly ninjas-in-training, they were still kids. She hadn’t had much opportunity to spend time around children since she began her Avatar training, and forgot how fun and cute they could be.

Naruto had turned some pretty lethal seal-puppy eyes on her to ask if Asa could sleep with him once they all settled down to go to bed. She didn’t have it in her to deny him such a sweet request. Watching them snuggle together as she had taken the opportunity to check over the state of their teacher once more before bed had put a small smile on her face.

That smile had quickly disappeared once she heard how loudly he could snore, however.

The others said nothing, apparently used to this phenomenon. Either that or they were such sound sleepers that it simply didn’t bother them. Juno was only able to fall asleep after gently rolling Naruto over onto his side. Crawling back into her own bedroll, she saw that Sasuke had one eye open, watching her. For all that they didn’t get along, it looked like he still cared enough to make sure Juno didn’t try anything fishy while Naruto was defenseless.

Now well into the morning, Juno was busy trying to decide what she was going to do. Sakura seemed confident that their teacher would be waking up at some point during the day. Once he was awake, she was sure he would have several pointed questions for her. She had a feeling he would be less likely to accept her hand-wavy answers about who she was and what she was up to than the kids had been the night before.

So, what does she do? She supposed she could simply leave before he awoke. She would likely be able to steal some provisions and a bed roll and leave town without anyone being the wiser.

That option didn’t appeal, if she was being honest with herself. For one, Juno would hate to repay the kindness of her hosts by stealing from them and leaving like a thief in the night. For another, it was time to fully enter into this new world. That meant making connections and finding her place.

But that left her with deciding what to tell them. Juno desperately wanted to tell the truth. But would they believe her? Would they think she was crazy? If she did decide to lie, would she be able to pull it off convincingly? The fact that they were ninjas made that unlikely, but could she afford to be honest if they rejected her story as too strange to be true?

Juno was still undecided when she leapt down from her perch on the windmill to re-enter the house. She slipped off her tall boots and tucked them into the little alcove built for that purpose.

She decided she would simply have to read the situation when this ‘Kakashi’ finally woke up. He had seemed virtuous the day before, and clearly cared deeply for his charges. If the three kids were reflections of what she could expect when he awoke, perhaps she would be able to trust him with the truth after all.

She padded barefoot into the house to see that everyone was in the main room, crowded around the now conscious Kakashi. The feeling in the air was tense, and Juno hesitated before turning around the corner.

“...come on, you’re overthinking this, aren't you?”

“Encountering suspicion, the ninja prepares quickly. Hesitation leads to disaster. Every shinobi knows this saying.” A charcoal grey eye watched her with interest as she came into view. He didn’t seem surprised to see her. Perhaps the others had already told him that she had remained.

The group was silent, pondering his words. Then, Tazuna turned to face Juno and grinned at her in greeting.

“Hey there, Juno-chan! I guess it's a good thing you decided to stick around, eh? Seems like that Zabuza bastard might be alive after all.”

Juno blinked in surprise. “No kidding.”

Well, that changed things a bit. If Juno was still entertaining any thoughts of leaving, the idea that the ruthless assassin she had helped defeat could come back and attack the group put an end to that. It would be unlikely that they would be able to fend him off again, especially considering how tired and pale the kid’s teacher looked.

Sakura turned back to face him. “Kakashi-sensei, what should we do? Even with Juno’s help, you were just barely able to defeat Zabuza with your sharingan eye, and you won’t be able to move for at least a week!”

He laughed. “I can still train you.” He paused, and looked over to her. “It’s good to see that you’re still around. I didn’t have a chance to properly thank you for your help.”

“Mmm, being unconscious makes that a bit difficult.” She teased, then moved to sit with them on the floor. She crossed her arms and tucked them underneath her poncho. “So the plan is to give your students a little more training? Somehow I doubt that’ll cut it.”

“Yeah, sensei! Are you tryna get us killed?” Hmm, Sakura had a bit of a temper on her.

“You would be surprised. Besides, I know that you all have grown as shinobi in the short time we’ve been training together. With a little more work, and a lot of teamwork, we’ll get the job done.”

Beside her, Naruto puffed up at the praise. She smiled slightly to see even Sasuke sit a little straighter.

They were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a little boy. A little, very upset, boy. He was wearing a pair of indigo overalls and a floppy hat. He came in with a shout and flung himself at Tazuna, who greeted him with a joyous hug. It appeared as though this was the grandson Tazuna had told them about over dinner the night before, who had been staying at a neighbour’s house while he was away.

Tsunami scolded him for being rude, but Tazuna waved her away.

“Mom, don’t you see? These people are going to die! Gato and his men will come back and find them and wipe them out!”

Naruto didn’t stand for that. “What did you say, brat? Listen, do you know what a super ninja is? Well that’s me only a lot better!”

She lifted an eyebrow at their antics, but then tuned them out. With the distraction, Juno took an opportunity to take a discreet look at the form of their teacher. She could see that he was slouching a bit, but she wasn’t sure if that was due to exhaustion or just poor posture. While she healed him the evening prior, Juno had tried to sense for the ‘chakra-exhaustion’ that Sakura had diagnosed him with. She had sensed a certain lack of vitality within his spirit, but the whole concept was confusing to her. In her world, chakra was the name for the seven pools of energy where chi swirled as it flowed through the body. But the way Sakura spoke about it made her think they used it to describe something different. Was chakra like chi, then? The idea that someone could be ‘low’ on chi was baffling to her. Bending was powered through the control of chi, but it wasn’t consumed by the act. Juno would only run out of chi once she was dead, and it flowed from her body to return to the cosmos. It seemed as though the attacks the men had used the day before were different from her bending in more ways than one.

Juno’s contemplation was interrupted when she noticed that Kakashi was silently returning her regard. When she noticed him looking, he arched the brow of his visible eye, as though to ask, can I help you?

Juno shuffled a little on her seat, blushing slightly at being caught staring.

The dramatic confrontation between the kids seemed to be over. With a rather melodramatic exclamation about “going to look out at the ocean”, the boy, Inari, left the room through a pair of sliding doors.

Tazuna looked a bit sheepish at his grandson’s outburst. “Sorry about that.”

Juno barely heard him. Her indecisiveness had reared its ugly head once more. With all of them gathered in the room at once, it would be a perfect time to speak about her situation. She was frozen with a temporary sense of panic. Should she? Shouldn’t she?

Across from her, Kakashi seemed to sense her tumultuous thoughts. He was waiting with an air of cautious patience, eye roving across her features.

Naruto was about to stomp away in pursuit of Inari when Juno flung an arm out. “Wait, Naruto.”

He paused and turned around to face her “Huh?”

Juno settled back down into her seated position and rearranged her arms beneath her poncho. She gripped her elbows tightly to keep them from trembling. “There’s something I need to tell you all. I haven’t been quite truthful with you about who I am, or my origins.”

That got their attention. Naruto came back to sit on the floor, head cocked curiously at her.

“I know you’ve noticed some odd things about me. My...basic ignorance about some things you take for granted, or my style of fighting from yesterday.” She paused. “I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the get go, but I wanted to wait until your teacher was awake to try and explain…”

“Explain what?” Sakura prodded encouragingly. Apparently she had paused for slightly too long there. Juno took a bracing breath. She was nervous.

“Ehh, sorry. It's difficult to know where to start.” Looking at the faces around her, she saw encouraging smiles from Naruto and Sakura and open curiosity from Tazuna and Tsunami. Sasuke and Kakashi were more difficult to get a read on, with Sasuke carefully schooling his features into neutrality and Kakashi having most of his face covered. His dark charcoal eye did stare quite intently on her, however. She had a feeling her irregularities hadn’t escaped his notice, even during the short time he had been conscious the day before.

“Well, why don’t you start with where you’re from?” His voice was darkly smooth, and pitched to be soothing.

She laughed a bit, humourlessly. “Well, that’s actually the most difficult place to begin. Alright, here it goes. You see, it all started about nine months ago…”

* * *

“So let me get this straight.” Naruto was pacing across the floor, ticking his fingers off one at a time. “You’re from a whole different world, where you’re some big-shot called the Avatar. You had to go through another world where some nasty spirit tricked you when you tried to get his help finding a cure for a disease. Then you ended up here because you couldn’t go back home?”

“Yeah, that’s about it.”

Juno was exhausted. They had been talking for at least two hours. If she had been hoping that her audience would patiently wait for her to completely explain her situation before following up with questions, that idea was dashed after the first few minutes. Following her first big revelation about her origins, she was inundated with endless questions. They’d go down tangents before Juno forced them back to the main point, but would quickly get sidetracked again. Naruto wanted to know more about being raised by monks, Sakura wanted to know about all the fancy parties and diplomatic events she had attended. Tazuna was intrigued by the metaphysical implications of multiple worlds, and was drawn into a philosophical discussion with his daughter about it before she hushed him to pay more attention to what Juno was saying.

Kakashi was a great help in that regard. Just when they were getting into the weeds of a unimportant tangent - like Naruto wanting to know the details of Asa’s native habitat - he would ask a pointed and articulate question that brought them back to the heart of the matter. What was her duty as the Avatar? What was the nature of her bending abilities? What was the possibility of others travelling into this world from other dimensions?

And finally: “What are you going to do?”

Juno slumped, deflated. “Ah, I’m not sure yet. I want to stay and make sure that Zabuza guy doesn’t attack you while you’re down, but beyond that, I have no plans.”

Tazuna shook his head slowly from side to side. “Well, that’s some story. Unbelievable what we don’t know about the universe.”

Sasuke had been mostly quiet, seemingly content to listen. But no longer. “Unbelievable is right. Sensei, you can’t possibly believe this nonsense?”

Kakashi was fidgeting with the metal plate on the back of his fingerless gloves, lost in thought. “Well, the existence of multiple dimensions is a confirmed phenomenon by many well-respected theorists. There have even been some recorded instances of powerful shinobi interacting with alternate space-time dimensions, as well as pocket dimensions.” He shrugged, rather nonchalant considering the kind of conversation they were having. “It’s not outside the realm of possibility that alternate worlds exist inhabited by other humans. As for the rest,” he looked at Sasuke, “you saw the way she fought just as I did, can you explain the elemental attacks she employed?

“It could have been a genjutsu, used to trick us, or it could have been some kind of bloodline limit we haven’t heard of.”

But Kakashi was shaking his head. “You know the sharingan can see through genjutsu. It can also see chakra.” He paused. “Watching Juno’s ‘bending’ attacks yesterday, I could see that the energy flowing inside her is different from any other I’ve seen.”

Juno cocked her head, intrigued. “In what way?”

“Chakra flows through the body in extremely predictable ways. Many shinobi specialize in combat techniques meant to exploit and alter the chakra pathways as we know them to exist within humans. From what I’ve seen, you have an entirely unique network of energy flowing inside you, pooling and swirling in pathways different to the humans in our world.” He shrugged. “I can’t tell you more until I’ve recovered enough to use my sharingan again.”

They were all silent as they digested this information. It was clear that Juno had a lot to learn about the differences between their worlds.

But Juno felt cautiously optimistic. It felt incredibly cathartic to reveal the entirety of her situation to someone. It seemed as though she had gotten lucky in this world; there were enough similarities to communicate concepts that were fundamental to her experiences. Chaka and chi, bending and jutsu. Perhaps she could build a life here that would stay in line with the expectations she had for her life in the old world?

Finally, the conversation Juno had been dreading was over before it had seemed to begin. As Tsunami doled out prepared lunches amongst her guests in preparation for their training session in the woods, Asa came in from his early morning wanderings. He greeted the children enthusiastically; jumping atop Naruto’s head and tugging at Sakura’s long pink locks. Kakashi extended a hand politely for Asa to sniff, then patiently waited as he carefully examined the fabric of his gloves and sleeves of his shirt. Juno had a sense that Kakashi was familiar with small, inquisitive animals.

Soon, the group was ready to head out. Juno inquired if she could accompany them on their training session; mostly out of boredom, also out of a sense of curiosity. Their earlier conversation had begun to highlight the differences between chakra and chi, and Juno was eager to learn more while she could.

Kakashi brought them to a grove of trees not far from Tazuna’s property. The walk was slow, due to accommodating his crutches, but Juno revelled in the sedate pace. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. No matter how ephemerally and temporarily this group of people had been brought together, she was glad that someone, somewhere, knew the truth about her. On the walk, she finally took the opportunity to question her new acquaintances about some things she had been wondering about.

“So, you’ve said that you are ninja? What exactly does that mean? Where I’m from, ninja would be warriors specialized in... sneaking? Eh, like infiltration and assassination and such.”

Kakashi nodded from where he was hobbling around by her side. “It is much the same here. A ninja, or shinobi, is an elite warrior who specializes in many forms of combat. Some are infiltration and assassination specialists, although our missions often encompass many kinds of directives. This mission, for example. Tazuna ordered a protection detail from our village to escort him from the Land of Fire to the Land of Waves.” He smiled wryly, or at least Juno thought he did from beneath the mask. “Obviously, that has changed a bit with the present circumstances, but the point still stands.”

They stopped once they had made their way into the grove of trees enough that the surrounding houses had become obstructed by the foliage. Juno hung back as Kakashi stepped into a lecturing mode, though he seemed to be content with Sakura explaining the finer details of the theory they were discussing. The young girl obviously excelled in book smarts, and took the opportunity to show off her knowledge.

Juno listened attentively. From what she had learned, chakra seemed to be a little more all purpose than the chi she was used to. It could be molded and shaped into producing all sorts of outcomes, including the miraculous gravity-defying tree-walking that Kakashi demonstrated for them. On the other hand, it looked like there were some draw-backs. The major one that she could tell was the fact that the use of chakra depleted the finite reserves of the person using it. Juno could use her bending up until the point that her physical body became tired of the motions necessary to channel her chi. It seemed as though her friends could only use chakra until it was all used up, then wait until it replenished to continue using more.

There were a few aspects of chakra that seemed confusing to Juno, like the fact that there were two kinds, and how hand signals worked, but she was satisfied with the basic working information that she had been shown. Though they may be different, it was obvious that some concepts, like balance, control, and experience, crossed borders.

She thought it was interesting watching Kakashi as a teacher. He seemed a bit lazy in her opinion, or perhaps ‘hands-off’ was a more generous descriptor. He clearly preferred letting Sakura explain technical concepts and then pitting the boy’s competitive natures against each other to motivate them, but she could see how it would be effective. Juno had had many excellent teachers in her life. Some, better than others. She had not been trained in a group since she began her Avatar training, however, and was chuffed to see how they all worked together to push each other further than one alone could do.

At the first attempt, it became apparent that there was a bit of a discrepancy between the three children. Naruto had fallen almost immediately after his ascent up the tree, Sasuke had made it a moderate height before falling off, and Sakura excelled effortlessly, perching on a high branch on her first try. Asa found the whole exercise hilarious, and darted up and down the trees with his nimble fingers, as if to say What? Is this hard?

Juno held back, watching their progress with interest. She was reminded of the airbending drills she and the other girls at the Western Air Temple had practiced ceaselessly. They had a training session similar to this one, where they had learned how to harness compressed bursts of airbending in order to propel their bodies in sustained anti-gravity wall-runs. The memory tugged at her heartstrings, and a bittersweet surge of homesickness welled up.

To distract herself, Juno took an opportunity to stretch her arms over her head, spine popping. She saw Kakashi glance over in her direction and she turned to face him with a grin. “It's interesting, how different, yet how similar our styles are.” She shrugged. “But I think I prefer bending.”

“Hmm, yes it is interesting...but I’m not sure if you should be so confident.” He slouched, leaning heavily on his crutches. “When I’ve recovered, we’ll see which is the superior art.”

Juno smiled, wide. “You’re on.”

They watched the boys for a little longer. When it became clear that it would be some time before they could complete the exercise, Juno, Kakashi, and Sakura decided to return to the house. It had been many hours since they had entered the grove, and the lunches Tsunami had packed them had long since been consumed. The trio walked back slowly, Kakashi still obviously struggling with the lethargy his chakra exhaustion had induced, though he did much to hide that fact from the others. Juno and Sakura chatted brightly on the walk home about how long they thought the boys would take before getting the hang of things.

“Sasuke-kun will take no time at all, for sure! He’s awesome!”

Juno sensed teenage infatuation from a mile wide. “Ah, you really admire him?”

“Oh yes! Sasuke is the best shinobi from our class. And he’s so...so perfect, he’ll beat Naruto by a long shot.” Sakura nodded definitively, then stared wistfully in the distance.

Juno exchanged a glance with Kakashi, who looked at her despairingly. She struggled to stifle a snicker.

“Hmm, if you say so. Seems to me like Naruto has enough determination to trump Sasuke’s talent though. He seems too stubborn to let someone get the leg up on him.” She paused, and felt a little wistful herself. “He reminds me of an old friend of mine.”

She felt the curious stares of her companions, and elaborated. “He was the son of the earthbender who trained me. He couldn’t bend himself, which he was always resentful of. But that stubbornness and lack of talent ended up working in his favour. As we got older, he managed to persevere and push through his weaknesses. He always had to work hard, and nothing came easy for him. But he managed to become one of the strongest warriors that I knew.” She grinned. “He even ended up working for the elite guard of the Earth King. One of the few non-benders to ever achieve that position. And he remained a faithful friend, even after I left the Earth Kingdom Capital.” Juno stopped there, thoughts of Benji filling her with a strong sense of sadness and regret.

It was late before Naruto and Sasuke returned to the house. The rest of the group was enjoying a quiet moment with their after dinner tea. The two comrades were dirty and starving from their exertions, with even Asa gobbling down food like a demon. As everyone started to settle down for the night, Juno found herself sitting cross-legged outside on the docks overlooking the water once more.

She couldn’t help but feel miles away from where she had just hours before. With a belly full of food and a day full of company and valuable insight into her new home, Juno felt optimistic about her prospects for the first time since she had crossed over. Though the future was still far from certain, she could now imagine that things would maybe, just maybe, turn out alright.


	5. A Week's Respite

Juno lunged, arms circling wide, as the flying daggers spun past her, catching the projectiles neatly in swirling balls of air. She held the form for a moment, took a deep breath, then relaxed, listening to the plinking of metal striking cement around her.

Sakura groaned. “Aw man, I thought that third one was getting past you for sure!”

Juno grinned, and pulled the handkerchief serving as a blindfold up onto her head. She went around and picked up the fallen kunai knives, then passed them back to the pink-haired girl, handles first.

It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was shining hotly down upon their heads. They were in the middle of a string of good weather, an unusually long one for the typically wet climate. Juno was grateful for the sun and heat. It was one of the things which had made guarding Tazuna and the construction crew much more tolerable. The first few days, when Juno had been accompanying him alone, she had spent the time crouched miserably under an awning, alone with her thoughts and the sound of raindrops plunking against the fabric roof.

Another thing improving her mood had been deciding to pass the time ‘training’ with Sakura. It had now been several days since Kakashi had deemed the girl competent enough with the tree-climbing exercise to join Juno during guard duty. The first day, Juno had heard enough passing remarks from the construction crew about the wisdom of having two ‘little girls’ as body-guards to work her into a fairly bad mood. 

Hence the ‘training’. It was more like playing really, just flashy demonstrations of their skill and athletic ability. Juno had had Sakura walking around on her hands while she took potshots at her from a few paces away with small airbending bursts to try and knock her off balance. They tried to trip each other using only their feet while balancing tin thermoses on their heads. They tried to see how many balls of water Juno could juggle before she lost control and they all fell to the ground in a shower. Juno refused to do that one until Sakura agreed to stand next to her, so that when she inadvertently lost control, they were both soaked in the process.

With the undeniably impressive show of their abilities, the comments from the construction crew ground to a halt. Instead, they had to contend with their antics becoming subject to betting pools and shouts of encouragement, or taunting, from their audience.

Juno had made a tidy sum of money over the last few days. It was something she had felt a little bad about at first, considering she had been raised believing that gambling was a vice. But it had been such easy money. The crew, who clearly could not know the full extent of her or Sakura’s abilities, chronically underestimated them. Plus, she knew that money, or her lack thereof, was going to be a problem once she left the comfort of Tsunami and Tazuna’s hospitality. It wasn’t something she ever had to worry about before, seeing as her accommodation and care had always been taken care of by others. She was going to need a crash course in ‘being an independent adult’ before long.

This current exercise, in addition to contributing to her new ‘independent adult’ fund, was fun practice for her in any case. It capitalized on Juno’s strongest bending ability, which was her passive airbending sense. As long as there wasn’t too much interference or distractions, Juno had the ability to sense even the tiniest shift in air currents in a twenty meter radius around her. It made her particularly adept at sensing, and countering, incoming projectiles. Her airbending masters had lauded her ability as one of the strongest cases of passive airbending sense they had ever heard of.

Being blindfolded and having Sakura throw a series of kunai knives in her direction, then attempting to catch them with airbending spheres, was a good test of that ability. The weather was clear and there was very little wind, so Juno could handle the half dozen targets Sakura sent her way with ease.

They decided to take a break. They collected their recent winnings from the betting pool, moved to lean against the edge of the bridge, and sipped on the chilled tea Tsunami had packed for them. The conversation between them was easy. Juno liked Sakura; she was tenacious and spunky, not to mention wickedly clever. She was certain Sakura had intuited the real motivation behind Juno’s ‘training’ in an instant, but had been just as keen to tackle the prejudiced beliefs of Tazuna’s construction crew as Juno had been.

Juno got the sense that Sakura didn’t have many female friends. She seemed almost desperately happy to have another girl to chat with, and was following Juno around everywhere like a little turtle-duckling. Juno didn’t really mind. Asa wasn’t allowed to be with her while on guard duty because he found it impossible to resist climbing the scaffolding and large cranes, and disrupting the workers. Without her chattering and amusing leopard-money to keep her company, Juno had gotten really bored, really quickly. Chatting with Sakura was a great way to pass the time.

Besides, Juno appreciated the opportunity to be candid with Sakura about some of the questions she had regarding her new home. It was nice to not have to censure herself and ask whatever dumb or inane thought that passed her mind. Every day, and every conversation, brought to light new information that better prepared Juno for the future. She was also able to draw some conclusions about the state of the world by reading between the lines of what Sakura said or how she behaved.

For example: it was apparently a pretty common belief that women were less suited to fighting than men, even among the ninja ranks. This belief wasn’t totally foreign to Juno; the Northern Water Tribe was somewhat infamous for segregating bending techniques among their populace, healing for women, fighting for men. It was depressing to think that that was a widely held view here. She could see the evidence of that belief on Sakura even in the short while she had known her. She let the more boisterous boys talk over her, and often looked to them for guidance instead of taking the lead. She also obviously felt awkward when she surpassed their skills with chakra control, being more concerned with Sasuke’s perception of her than her own training or achievements.

It was a little difficult for Juno to wrap her head around. She had been raised almost entirely surrounded by powerful girls and women. The Eastern and Western Air Temples housed the female monks and acolytes among the nomads. It wasn’t exclusive by any means, they often had boys and men travelling though, and air nomads were not prone to staying in one location for long. But the temple was staffed and run almost exclusively by females. The council of elders were women, the cooks, the bending masters, the diplomats. There was no work thought to be outside their abilities, or tasks that they would be better suited for just because of their gender.

Juno did her best to encourage this attitude in Sakura. She knew it would be difficult to break her from her ingrained ideology entirely, but hoped that the slight hero-worship Sakura held for her would give what she said a little more weight. Plus, she was still young. A solid female role-model could work wonders. Juno wasn’t sure how long their paths would continue to cross, but she did her best to at least plant the seed of discontent in Sakura’s mind while she could.

The first thing to nip in the bud was this ‘dieting’ nonsense. Juno had wondered aloud why Sakura hadn’t finished her lunch considering the relatively difficult exertions they had been participating in throughout the morning. Sakura explained that she didn’t want to eat too much because she would look ‘fat’ and that everyone knows boys like skinny girls. Juno listened in quiet horror as Sakura told her about the latest ‘diet’ she had read about, which involved eating no bread and fasting every third day. With thoughts of the emaciated bodies of the pandemic victims Juno had seen just a few short weeks ago racing through her mind, she butted in.

“Sakura, do I look fat to you?”

“Whaa?? No way!”

“Well, I’ve just eaten twice as much as you have. AND I’m pretty sure I did last night at dinner too.”

Sakura was quiet, thinking back to the evening prior.

“You’re training to be a warrior, right? How do you expect to do that if you starve yourself?” Juno posed dramatically, and flexed her biceps “You can’t build muscles like these if you don’t eat! I’m surprised your teacher hasn’t gone over this stuff with you.”

Sakura fidgeted slightly. “Uhh, well we did have a few lessons on nutrition and health at the academy, but all the other books and magazines I’ve read have said that I should minimize my calories if I want to keep a trim figure…”

Juno had never felt the compulsion to burn books before, but she did so now.

“Well, why is a trim figure so special anyway?”

“That's just what everyone thinks.”

Juno heaved a disgusted sigh. “Well, people have all sorts of silly ideas about what makes others worthy of their time. It’s the same where I’m from. Clothes, wealth, the style of their hair, or whether they have the right kind of accent.” She paused, and looked at Sakura directly in the eyes. “Sakura, none of that stuff matters. Think back to the people you admire and like. Do you particularly care whether or not they adhere to these standards?”

She was gratified to see that Sakura was paying close attention. “I’ve only known you for a few days, but I already like you. You know why? You’re smart, fun, and spunky. I like that you laugh at my jokes and that you are kind to Asa. None of that has to do with your looks.” 

“Well yeah, that's fine for making friends, but, well..” She shuffled, blushing slightly, “I like someone and I want them to, you know, ‘like’ me too. That stuff means they need to like your looks, right?”

Juno was quiet for a moment, getting her thoughts in line. She felt like this was an important conversation to get right. Sakura had been told some pretty questionable things, in her opinion, but seemed receptive to what Juno was saying.

“Well, looks are definitely a part of that sort of thing, but less than you’d think. Personality and compatibility is way more important.” Juno said. “Think of the most beautiful person you could imagine. If you met them, then saw them kick Asa or kill a defenceless baby bird, would you think they were someone you’d want to be with?”

“Ugh, no way!”

“Okay. Now, on the other hand, there’s plenty of people who won’t seem like much to you at first, but because you get along so well, they become good-looking in your eyes.” Juno sighed. “It's a thing that’s difficult to explain. But I can tell you for sure that there will be people who will find you attractive just for the sort of person you are, or otherwise think you’re ugly for the same reason.”

“What if there is someone I really, really want to like me, but it doesn’t seem like they like the sort of person that I am?”

Juno smiled wryly. “Well, that’s not something you can control, unfortunately. It can definitely hurt a lot if someone you like doesn’t return your feelings, but all you can do is keep working toward your goals, improve your skills, and grow as a person. If not them, then someone else will come along who will see your value.”

They sipped the rest of their tea in silence. Juno wasn’t so naive as to think that a single conversation could unravel the convoluted relationship Sakura currently had with her self-esteem, but it was something.

Sakura broke the silence as they were stowing their thermoses. “Did you leave anyone special behind? In that other world?” 

The question shouldn’t have thrown her, considering the topic of conversation, but it still managed to. Juno felt a sudden spike of sadness pierce her gut. She hid her reaction, not wanting to let Sakura know how much the question upset her. 

Some of it still managed to leak through, and she turned to face the girl with a sad smile. “I left many special people behind. The kind of special you’re thinking of…” Juno trailed off, adrift in memories. “Yeah, there was someone. I hadn’t seen him in a while because I was busy with Avatar training, and then with the pandemic. But we wrote to each other a lot.” 

The monks taught her that sadness and pain were emotions meant to be felt fully, and not shied away from. Juno had always been honest and true to this teaching. But she felt that the middle of a bridge in front of a group of men who already thought that women were too emotional and not suited to combat was not the time or place to give voice to her grief.

Sakura once more showed her perceptiveness, something Juno was highly grateful for, and she changed the subject to lighter topics. They whiled away the remaining hours of the afternoon debating the relative benefits of fighting in skirts or pants, and whether or not they thought Kakashi was good-looking under his mask.

“Sakura, what did I say about judging someone for their looks?”

“Okay, do you think that you would like his face if you saw it though.”

“Well, it does look like he has a nice, strong jaw. I do usually like those…”

And so it went. Juno was practicing her plaiting techniques on Sakura’s hair, and was just finishing tying off a passable imitation of a recently fashionable warrior braid among Fire Nation girls, when Tazuna approached them to indicate that the work was over for the day.

They walked back to his home together, with Sakura delicately running her fingers along the length of her new hair-do. “I can see how something like this would be good for keeping your hair out of the way while you’re fighting.”

“I think that’s the general idea behind the style.” Juno said. “Plus, it just looks cool.”

If Tazuna had an opinion, he kept it to himself.

They stopped in town so that Tazuna could purchase foodstuffs for dinner. They walked down the dusty streets in silence. Everywhere Juno looked were signs of the poverty Tazuna told them was the result of Gato’s influence. Beggars, gaunt, unwashed bodies, and dilapidated homes. It made her extremely uncomfortable, even though she had seen such things before. She remembered the first time she had been witness to abject poverty. It had been shortly after she had left the Western Air Temple to begin her Avatar training. She had crossed the northern reaches of the Fire Nation to reach the capital, where her fire bending master resided. During the journey, they had come across a man begging in the streets of a Fire Nation town. Juno had naively turned to her escort to ask what the man was doing, and why no one was helping him when he obviously needed it. Monk Kestra had to explain the concept of currency, and ‘poverty’ to her. It was a mind-bending concept to a child raised in a communal-living monastery.

Juno’s earnings from the betting pool didn’t last long during the trip through the town. She found it hard to justify keeping the funds when there were so many others who clearly needed it more.

That night, after dinner, they heard the story of Inari’s father, Kaiza. It upset Naruto enough that he spent the rest of the night outside training. It didn’t take more than a day after that for both boys to master tree-walking to Kakashi’s satisfaction. They pursued mastering the skill with almost frenetic vigour, driven by righteous anger from hearing the tragic tale. It even spurred Juno into pushing herself particularly hard with her daily calisthenics the following morning.

Kakashi was almost completely healed by then. He still used a single crutch as an aid when taking trips outside Tazuna’s home, but Juno was sure he would be back to his usual ability before the night was through. He seemed to be the kind of person who resented convalescence. Juno knew many other warriors who had the same problem.

At dinner time, with both boys wolfing down their food like demons, Kakashi announced that they would all be accompanying Tazuna the following day for body guard duty. Juno finished eating her rice, quietly amused by the boy’s antics. Their sense of rivalry was so intense it was slightly exhausting to watch. Luckily, it looks like they had both learned their lesson from the evening earlier in the week, when Juno insisted they both clean up their own vomit from eating too quickly in a bid to outdo the other.

Tsunami was cleaning up the dishes when Tazuna spoke up.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this but I haven’t had the chance until now. Why did you stay and protect me even after you found out I lied to bring you here?”

Juno had begun contentedly stroking Asa’s sleepy form as he lay sprawled on her lap. She halted her languid motion for a moment, then continued, listening intently for Kakashi’s answer. She hadn’t had the opportunity to spend much time with the team leader to this point, and was interested in his rationale behind the decision.

“Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive.”

“Huh?” said Tsunami, echoing Juno’s thoughts.

“That was a quote from the first Hokage.” Kakashi said.

“Hmm.”

There was silence as they all contemplated the quote. Juno was intensely pleased to hear it. From what she had gathered during her conversations with Sakura, ninja society was rather mercenary in nature. They operated under a military dictatorship, with the highest authority, or ‘Hokage’ often being the strongest warrior. Missions were completed in exchange for currency, and ninja villages competed for prestige in the name of securing the most contracts for their ninja to complete. It seemed to Juno like a cut-throat way to run a society.

But, with this simple quote, Kakashi had renewed Juno’s faith in the relative goodness of humanity. It appears as though ninja were not all as profit-driven as she had been led to believe. If Kakashi wanted to complete the mission out of respect for Tazuna and the late Kaiza’s sense of leadership and courage, with no expectation of reward, then perhaps Juno could find herself a place in this world without completely sacrificing her ideals. She felt a smile spread across her face, and gave Asa a vigorous scratch in his neck scruff.

“But why?” Inari spoke up, voice wobbling.

“Huh? What did you say?” Naruto lifted his head from where it had been laying on the table to look at the boy.

“Unh!” Inari slammed his fists on the table and stood up. “All this stupid training is just a waste of time! Gato’s got a whole army. They’ll beat you down and they’ll destroy you. These cool things you all say - they don’t mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong always win and the weak always lose.”

It was a heart-breaking speech to hear from one so young. The brutal death of his father clearly still tormented him. Juno wished there was something she could do to ease his suffering.

“Just speak for yourself. It won’t be like that with me. You got that?” Narotu shot back. Juno was somewhat taken by surprise. Naruto had seemed like such a happy-go-lucky kid. Where was this aggression coming from?

“Why don’t you be quiet!? Looking at you makes me sick. You don’t know anything about this country! You’re just butting in. Always laughing and playing around, you don’t know what it’s like to suffer and be treated like dirt.”

“Listen to yourself whining and complaining like some sorry little victim”

“Uhh!” Inari was shocked, as was Juno, by the harsh words from the usually boisterous blonde.

“You can whimper all day for all I care. You’re nothing but a coward!”

“Naruto, you went too far.” Sakura cut in scoldingly. Juno was grateful. She didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes by disciplining him when that clearly should have been Kakashi’s role. Juno’s eyes cut over to where the silver-haired man sat. He was as wide-eyed as the rest of them, but seemingly hesitant to interfere. It looks like this would be another instance of that ‘hands-off’ teaching approach. Juno couldn’t help but resent him slightly. It was unfair to leave dealing with this situation to Sakura.

Naruto growled and stood, then stalked off, hands in the pockets of his orange jumper.

“Naruto…” Sakura called after him plaintively.

Inari sobbed quietly at the table. Then he too stood and disappeared through the doors leading to the docks.

The rest of them sat in silence around the table. Juno was the first to break the tense atmosphere by standing to assist Tsunami with clearing up the dinner dishes. Juno had picked up a lot about how the devices in the kitchenette worked over the past week. She headed over to the sink and started to fill it with soapy water. The older woman came beside her and began drying the dishes Juno passed to her. She heard the others begin to speak quietly at the table.

After a moment, Juno noticed that Tsunami’s shoulders were shaking slightly. She glanced towards her face and saw that she was silently crying. Juno said nothing, just bumped her hip against Tsunami’s gently. They finished with the dishes, and, after drying her hands on a dish towel, Juno entwined their arms together before leading the older woman up the stairs. Tsunami then directed them towards her bedroom, and they sat together on the settees in the small entrance area. Juno didn’t speak, just patted the older woman’s hand soothingly.

Tsunami sniffled, and wiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry, you’d think I’d be tired of crying by now.”

Juno smiled gently. “You know, the monks had a saying where I was from. ‘Grief, like a poisoned blade, cuts deep and makes the soul fester. Tears, like blood, flows from the wound and flushes the poison out.’

“They sound like a wise people.”

“Yes.”

They sat in silence, with Tsunami patting at her eyes. “You know, words can also help flush out the poisonous grief,” Juno prodded. She was falling back on the example set by Monk Kestra all those years ago. From when she was twelve, newly realized as the Avatar, and mad with grief over the tragedy that preceded the event. Kestra had given her space to vent and rail and cry out, and often just listened, and gave simple comfort. No platitudes, or parables, or teaching moments. Juno had a feeling that this kind of support was hard to come by for Tsunami. She had a grieving son, a busy and at-risk father, and a community at war for their survival. It's hard to give yourself space to grieve when you are being pulled in so many directions.

And so Tsunami spoke. She gave shape to her grief. It was the shape of a man with strong arms, and a disarming grin. It was the shape of a love between a father and a son, a man and a woman, and a hero with an entire community. 

And it was the sudden absence of that shape. The gaping hole that was left behind, torn away by a greedy and sadistic man, mad on power and control. It was the limping spirits of the townsfolk, the abject fear and loss of hope, and the devastation of her young son.

“I just don’t know what to do with him!” Tsunami sobbed, face in her hands. They were sitting on the floor now, side by side with their knees drawn up to their chests. Juno had her arm wrapped securely around the older woman’s shoulders. “He used to be such a sweet boy, but you see how he is now. He’s constantly lashing out and he’s so full of sadness and despair. It breaks my heart to see him like that, but I have no idea how to help him! I feel like I’m barely holding it together myself most days.”

Juno just stroked her back soothingly, running her hand over the woman’s long silky hair.

Tsunami suddenly lifted her head and gave Juno an intense stare. “Promise me you won’t let anything happen to my father! I couldn’t bear it if I lost him too. You have got to stop Gato!”

“I promise. I’ll protect him with my life.”

Tsunami shook her head. “Well, don’t you go and get yourself killed either. You’ve just got here, there’s so much of this world for you to see…”

Juno smiled. “I have no plans to get myself killed. This is what I do, Tsunami. It’s my sacred duty. Gato has disrupted the balance in the Land of Waves, and I’ll set it to rights.” She paused, then continued, “And if I do die in the attempt, my body will return to the earth and my spirit will reincarnate. The great wheel of life shall continue to spin…” she grinned, “but to be honest I don’t see that happening. I’m pretty strong, you know.”

“Pfft, well I guess you’d know best.”

“You know it!”

Tsunami dried her tears. It was late by that point, the sun having set many hours ago. Juno went downstairs and got ready for bed, then quietly crawled into her bedroll. She was gratified to see Naruto snoring away in his own bed, Asa curled snugly around the boy’s neck. Rolling onto her back, Juno loosely flung her arms above her head and stared up at the white ceiling. Light from an outside lamp was bouncing off the ocean waves and cast dancing reflections onto the ceiling’s surface. With the soft sounds of the sleepers around her, Juno drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit of a doozy. First, my grandfather passed away in the middle of writing it, and second, I realized it was getting way too long and needed to split it in two. On a brighter note, the next chapter should be coming soon since it's already mostly written :)


	6. Battle of the Bridge

The morning dawned bright and clear. Juno stood on the deck surrounding Tazuna’s home and wrapped up her morning workout with a luxurious overhead stretch, spine crackling. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and it was warm enough that she had chosen to forgo wearing her poncho overcoat. Inside the house was a bustle of activity as the rest of their rag-tag group roused and made their way through what was now an established morning routine. Rise, eat, stretch and warm up, and dress for the day. 

All except Naruto that is, who was still snoring loudly in the living room. It was so noisy that she could hear it from where she stood outside. Re-entering the house through the sliding doors, Juno casually dropped one shoe on the floor near his head, and stared in amazement as the loud ‘thump’ didn’t cause so much as a twitch. She turned to look at Kakashi, who was sitting nearby, busy tying the bandages that secured the ends of his pants to his legs. 

“Wow, he is out”.

He chuckled, and came to stand beside her to gaze down at the sleeping boy. Naruto was sprawled, limbs akimbo, mouth wide open and dripping with drool. The sight was kinda cute. If you could overlook the rackous sound of his snoring, that is. “He used too much chakra while training yesterday. That boy doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘restraint’.”

“No kidding,” Juno said.

“Hmm, I think I’ll let him sleep and recover his energy. A good leader knows when to allow his comrades to rest.” Kakashi said, slouched, hands in his pockets.

Juno felt a welling of amusement. “Right, and I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you’d have to deal with a sleep-deprived, temperamental, nuisance otherwise.”

He tilted his head in her direction with a single, smile-creased eye. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Hmm.”

The group finished getting ready, then set off towards the bridge. They were mostly silent on the walk, which Juno was grateful for as she tried to shake off the vestiges of sleep, something that was slightly easier these days now that Tsunami had introduced her to the miracle that was ‘coffee’. It was a dark and bitter drink that reminded her of the pu’erh tea that the Earth Kingdom favoured, and did wonders for her mental alertness. Although, she discovered that drinking too much of the stuff made her feel like a colony of ants lived under her skin.

The last of the early morning mist was dissipating in the sunlight as they crested over the hill that led to the town. There was a more direct route to the bridge from Tazuna’s home that skirted the town altogether, but Juno thought that Tazuna deliberately wanted the townsfolk to see him going to work everyday. While she found Tazuna to be somewhat crass and insensitive, she had to admire his dedication to restoring hope to the people of the Land of Waves. At this time of day, only the fishermen were out and about, but Tazuna made sure to call out and greet each one that they came across.

Soon, they reached the bridge and began the long walk to the other end. The first time she had seen it, Juno had marvelled at the engineering wonder. She had seen some impressive architecture in her time, but what was truly amazing was the fact that the people of this world had built the monstrosity without the aid of earthbending. Just pure human ingenuity. 

Throughout the walk, Juno kept one eye on Kakashi. She still wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. On the one hand, he was a strong and capable warrior, clearly dedicated to the safety of his students. On the other, he was lazy and flippant, and seemed content to let his student’s emotional needs go unaddressed. It didn’t take a sage to know that Sasuke and Naruto had some major emotional trauma that was afflicting them. Naruto was desperate for acceptance and was obsessed with status. Sasuke was sullen and way too embittered for a twelve year old. During Juno’s education, mastering your emotions and learning to achieve spiritual balance and enlightenment was paramount. Clearly, the ninja teacher did not hold this value in equal esteem. And while on the surface, Kakashi projected a detached, wry, demeanor, Juno sensed a darkness in him that put her on edge.

All throughout the walk, he focused his attention on the small orange book he was perpetually reading. She hadn’t gotten close enough to see exactly what it was about, but the pictures on the front cover didn’t make it too difficult to guess. A ninja obsessed with reading romance novels? The contradictions just made her wonder about him even more. What was his deal?

If he noticed her scrutiny, he didn’t acknowledge it. Despite this, Juno was sure that, beneath his seeming nonchalance, he was intensely aware of his surroundings. At times she could feel his eyes on her, though she never caught him in the act. It seemed as though he was as watchful of her that she was of him. 

They were just about to reach the edge of the bridge when something put Juno on guard. The noise of the construction crew and their equipment should have reached them by now, but there was only the sound of waves and the faint cries of distant gulls. A faint fog obstructed their view, so Juno couldn’t be sure, but she felt that something was wrong.

Kakashi noticed her tense, which confirmed her belief that he was more aware of his environment than he let on. 

“What is it?” He asked quietly.

“It's too quiet.”

Tazuna, at the front of their group, confirmed Juno suspicions when he cried out “Hold on, what the heck is this?”

They jogged the rest of the way to the active construction area, and were met with a distressing sight. Scattered across the bridge were members of the crew groaning in pain, knocked unconscious, or worse. Juno could see a man, one who had been an active member of the betting ring, lying with his neck bent at an unnatural angle. He was dead.

“What happened? Someone was here, someone got to them!” Tazuna started towards the fallen members of the crew, but stopped when Kakashi extended his arm in warning.

“Wait!”

They waited in tense silence. Suddenly, a thick fog rolled in. Within seconds, what had been a day of relatively clear skies and bright sunshine was totally obscured by mist. It had the same unnaturally dense and heavy quality as the mist from the battle at the river the week prior. Juno dropped into a bending stance and brought her arms up.

“This mist...everyone get ready!” Kakashi shot out to the rest of their group. Sakura and Sasuke quickly followed their teacher’s instructions, arming themselves with kunai knives and forming a defensive circle around Tazuna. Kakashi himself took a forward position, his own knife at the rady. “I knew he was still alive. He just couldn’t wait for round two.”

“Kakashi-sensei, it's Zabuza, isn’t it? This is his Hidden-Mist jutsu.” Juno heard Sakura speak up from behind her, only a slight tremor to her words to suggest nervousness. Juno’s eyes were quickly scanning the area in front of them, hoping for a slight glimpse of motion to indicate where their enemies were. The fog was so dense, visibility was frustratingly restricted to only a few feet ahead of them. Juno quickly made a decision.

“You know what? I’m sick of this mist.” Juno said. She widened her stance and started to sweep her arms in wide circles. Once she built up momentum, she started to spin her whole body and performed a classic circle-walking airbending form. She deviated from the typical form by drawing on both her air and water bending skills. She felt more than saw the fog respond to her influence, and soon, the air cleared to reveal two figures at the end of the bridge. Spinning gracefully back into a bending-ready stance, Juno saw that it was their opponents from the week before, Zabuza and Haku.

Kakashi turned to the kids. “Sakura, Sasuke, stay with Tazuna.” He stepped forward next to Juno as they squared off against the enemy ninja.

Juno heard a firm “Right!” from her young friend behind them, but did not lift her attention from the two figures at the end of the bridge. She felt a lot more prepared to face them now that she had a basic understanding of the fighting techniques they would potentially be using, but it would be a mistake to think that she could lower her guard at all. Although Juno had combat experience, she had little experience fighting people who had the explicit intention of killing her, and were trained in assassination techniques. She was sure they were in for a difficult fight.

Zabuza broke the silence. “Hmph, I see you’ve cleared my mist. But don’t think it’ll make a difference, I’ll still gut you all like the spineless fish you are.”

Juno wasn’t above a little smack talk herself. It had been her old earthbending instructor who had taught her the usefulness of intimidation, or of infuriating an opponent enough to cause them to lose focus and put them off their game. A distracted enemy was a weakened enemy. 

“Big talk for a guy we squashed not a full week ago. But at least you have your little friend to help protect you this time.” Juno taunted.

She was rewarded by a deep growl from Zabuza. “Haku, you know what to do.”

Almost quicker than Juno’s eyes could track, Haku spun and whirled in to attack first. Juno’s arms shot out in a jagged scythe, sending forth an airbending slash to keep him from coming too close. Juno’s strength was in mid-ranged combat, where she could attack with bending strikes from a distance and use her passive airbending sense to avoid incoming attacks. Her close-combat skills were fine, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to match Haku’s speed.

Haku avoided the air slash with a level of grace that was stunning to behold. The obstacle barely seemed to phase him as he continued his forward charge and, despite Juno’s efforts, he quickly came into her space armed with the thin needle-blades he favoured. Juno had to back-track and circle-walk aggressively to avoid the whip-fast strikes. Coming out of a spin, Juno thrust her fists out to deliver an air-punch to Haku’s gut, successfully pushing him back a few feet. 

They stared at each other for a moment. Juno was slightly embarrassed to find that her breath was coming in fast. Though he was probably similar in age to Sakura and the other kids, he was way out of their league when it came to actual combat. There was no hesitation to his strikes that she could sense. Despite his youth, he was a veteran fighter, one who had probably killed many times before. The eyes of the pale, expressionless mask he wore bored into her.

“I don’t want to kill you. We’re just here for the bridge builder.” His voice was soft, belying the violence from a moment prior. The strange thing was, Juno suspected that the strange boy was being sincere. 

“Well, I don’t want to kill you either,” Juno replied. “But I can’t let you hurt Tazuna. His work here is too important. Plus, I made a promise to his daughter to keep him alive.” She prod at the hint of vulnerability the boy had displayed. “Why are you doing this if you don’t just want to kill us, then? Is money so important to you?”

“It's not that. I merely serve the will of Zabuza. I am an extension of his dreams and desires. I follow his every command without question.”

Juno was appalled. “What? Why?” She glanced over towards where Zabuza and Kakashi were currently engaged in combat. The tall, ashen man swung the giant sword like it weighed light as a feather, nothing about him indicating that he had been severely injured only a week before. Kakashi danced around him, deflecting the massive blows with only a small knife. From where she stood, she could hear the two men exchanging taunts and barbs while they fought. It was difficult to understand what about the man could inspire such loyalty in Haku.

“Zabuza gives me purpose where I would otherwise have none. Beyond that, there is nothing more for you to understand.” Haku shifted into a battle ready stance. “You stand opposed to his goal, and though it pains me, that act spells out your death. I will try and ensure that it is a clean one.” With one hand held in front of his face, she saw Haku flash through a quick succession of hand signals. She braced herself for the attack that was sure to follow.

“Secret jutsu, 1000 needles of death!”

Water on the bridge floated sedately upward around them. Once they were the height of a tall man, the blobs of water suddenly condensed into hundreds of frozen ice needles. Juno only had a moment to prepare before they crashed towards her. 

She breathed deep in her gut, spread her arms wide, and summoned a fire shield. The flames whirled around her body, snapping and crackling. Above the sound of the fire, she could hear the hiss of water as needles struck the barrier and melted in an instant. When the hissing stopped, she dropped the form and the flames dissipated. 

Instantly, Juno bent the water around her into a powerful water whip and snapped it towards Haku’s feet, driving him back. She drove her assault forward relentlessly, taking advantage of his surprise.

“You’re not the only one who can fight with water.” She taunted. The moment she had him backpedalling, she froze the water behind him, and was briefly rewarded when he slipped slightly. He righted himself after a moment, then made a large jump to clear the area. 

In the momentary reprieve, Juno tried to formulate a strategy. From the looks of things, she was on her own in this fight. Kakashi was preoccupied with Zabuza, and Sakura and Sasuke had to stay near Tazuna in case either enemy ninja made a sudden break to assassinate him. It seemed as though Haku’s main strengths were his speed and his control over water and ice. Juno could use her bending to deflect the water-based attacks, but Haku was definitely much faster than her at close range. She would likely have to rely on using bending techniques in ways that Haku did not expect, similar to how she was able to defeat Zabuza in their last fight. Juno wished momentarily that they were fighting on solid ground as opposed to the metal bridge. She wouldn’t be able to use earthbending at all. Although it was her weakest element, it would have allowed her to manipulate her environment to her advantage. 

She would just have to try and tire him out. Despite being a formidable warrior in his own right, Haku was still just a growing boy, not yet settled into the strength of a mature adult body. Juno also knew that using elemental attacks would just deplete his chakra, perhaps to a level where he could be slowed enough to overpower. She would have to try and provoke him into using more elemental attacks to speed the process along.

She held her water whip aloft for a moment, then swirled and bent the water above her head into flashy, twisted forms. 

“You think you are a water master? I lived with water-bending babies who manipulated water with more finesse than that last attack. Don’t tell me that's the best you can do?” She taunted, and released the strain of water into a spray of mist. The water rained down and pooled on the ground between them. She crouched into a ready position, and crooked her hand in a ‘come at me’ gesture that she was sure would translate, despite being from different worlds.

Haku did not respond verbally, just lifted two fingers in front of his face once more and paused a moment, gathering energy. The temperature in the air dropped drastically. Juno’s breath puffed out of her mouth in a fog. Behind her, ice rose from the ground and formed a flat panel, shiny like a mirror. She only had a moment to regret her taunt before she was utterly surrounded and penned in.

“Secret jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors.”

Juno spun around and gasped, “Not mirrors again!” The bottom dropped out of her stomach. Without her consent, her breath came in short gasping pants, heart pounding. Her mind raced with images of Hurosai’s labyrinth. Visions flashed by: seeing herself killed and dismembered by crystal beasts, pleading for help, her blood splattering on the crystalline walls. The mirrors around her started to glow; Haku stepped up and melted his body into one. His expressionless mask flashed across all the mirrors to regard her coldly.

“Now, we begin.”

In an instant, tiny needles shot out and pierced her on all sides. She felt the impact like pinpricks of fire. The pain lanced around her, making her cry out.

It hurt like demon fire, but the pain served to shock her out of her mindless panic. Haku paused in his assault just as she managed to get a grip. She took a few deep breaths, ignored the pain, and centered herself.

“Don’t you see? It is pointless to resist. No one can defend against my ice mirrors.” Haku’s voice echoed around her. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from.

Juno glanced down at her body. Needles stuck out all over her arms and legs, reminding her of the porcupine-boars that roamed the Fire Nation countryside. She plucked one out and looked at it. It was metal, so she couldn’t defend herself by melting them in a fire shield. She tossed the needle to the side, ignoring the small trickle of blood seeping from the wound.

“There’s always a first for everything kid, and I’m not just anyone.” She crouched, making eye contact with the reflection of Haku in front of her. “Lets go!”

He rose to her bait, and another volley of needles barraged her from all sides. She planted her feet on the ground and froze a barrier of ice all around her.

She crouched inside her shelter and listened to the needles strike the surface of the ice. She was safe for the moment, but she also couldn’t attack him from inside the shield. To go on the offensive, she would need to expose herself to his needle attacks. Hopefully, her original plan of tiring him out would still work before she needed to resort to that.

Suddenly, there was silence. It could just be that Haku realized the futility of throwing needles against her thick ice shield. That, or something else could be happening outside. Juno debated with herself for a second, then lowered her defences to see what was going on.

It became apparent after a minute that something was going on. And that something was in the shape of a hyperactive, orange, loud-mouth causing a ruckus just outside the circle of mirrors. Naruto was jumping and shouting, and Juno could see flashes of the fight just beyond. It seemed as though the younger children had joined the battle. 

She saw that Haku was distracted momentarily, and she took the opportunity to try something. Gathering her focus, Juno superheated the air in front of her with a sustained, concentrated, firebending blast. She aimed the force of the blast to the nearest mirror. After a moment, she felt needles pierce her back, and she abandoned the attack to defend herself with ice once more. But not before she saw that her attack had no effect beyond producing a slight sheen of perspiration on the mirror’s surface.

“You’ll need much more heat than that to melt this ice.” She heard Haku state from beyond her ice shield. She heard the pat pat pat of more needles striking her shield.

Juno thought quickly. 

“More heat, huh?” Juno muttered to herself, as she settled cross-legged on the ground. Trust Naruto to ruin her perfectly sound plan. With the children joining the fight, she no longer had the luxury of trying to tire-out Haku with a long battle. Spirits know, despite their enthusiasm and relative skill, the kids were just not ready for active combat. At this point, their inexperience would cause them to be more of a hindrance than a help to Kakashi and herself. She needed to end this quickly, and help to put Zabuza down. So, more heat it would be.

She closed her eyes and reached for that special space deep in her center. She quieted the outside world and focused her chi until she could feel it rushing and swirling through her body like the surge of a thundering waterfall. When she next opened her eyes, they were glowing.

In an instant she leapt up, crashing through the barrier of her ice shield. With the force of ten thousand Avatars, Juno waged a firestorm the likes of which that world had never seen. Swaths of flames licked at the mirrors’ edges, burning white-hot with the force of her strength.

From the center of the inferno, Juno saw the moment Haku abandoned the sanctuary of his mirrors. He flung his body away at the last moment, seconds before the mirrors shattered from the heat of her assault.

The molten glass rained down around her as she began to work to contain the firestorm, her epic concentration gathering the heat and power back into herself. In the end, she stood in a circle of steaming concrete slag, air shimmering from the heat. She maintained the Avatar state for a moment longer while she stared her foe down. The glow of her eyes and tattoos receded slowly as she came back into herself. With several quick motions, she pinned Haku to the ground with an ice prison of her own.

With an airbending leap, Juno cleared the decimated area of the bridge to land lightly beside Haku’s prone form. She took a moment to look towards where the others were fighting. While she had been trapped in the ice mirrors, Zabuza had used his hidden mist jutsu once more to obscure the battlefield, so she couldn’t see much, only hear distant sounds of fighting. Also, strangely, the sound of growling animals. She could only hope the others were okay.

She looks down at Haku, who was lying placidly in his ice prison. She had encased all but his head in solid ice, making extra sure to include his arms and prevent him from making any more hand signs. His mask had fallen away at some point, likely while he was escaping her firestorm. His face was deceptively delicate and pretty for such a lethal warrior, although his current expression was rather forlorn.

She crouched by his head. He turned to look into her eyes and Juno was taken aback by the bleak gaze.

“You should just kill me,” he said. The resignation in his voice saddened her deeply.

“Now, why would I go and do a thing like that?” she replied. 

“I’ve outlived my usefulness to Zabuza. What use is a tool if it is no longer sharp? I see no point in living if I can no longer serve him.” He averted his gaze and stared blankly into the fog.

Juno was quiet, mulling over his words. As loathe as she was to admit it, they struck a chord within her. Hadn’t she just felt that same loss of purpose herself? Her whole life she had been groomed to be the Avatar, to take her place in the world as an arbiter of peace and justice. The loss of that certainty and direction had cut as keenly as the thought of never seeing her friends and loved ones again. That listlessness and depression clung to her still, despite the relatively distracting events of the past week. She knew his pain.

She gently reached out and touched his chin, angling his face so he would meet her eyes. She let her own despair bleed into her expression. Though her face was sad, her voice was firm.

“You listen to me. I know that pain you are feeling. But you are not a mere tool, built for a single purpose. You are a person, whose dreams and aspirations will evolve and grow with you throughout your whole life.” she shook her head morosely, “sometimes they will change because they need to, because you’ve lost someone or something and that dream is now an impossibility. That will always be tragic. But tragedy and pain is the price of living and loving in a temporary world.” she looked deeply into his eyes, and lifted her lips into a small smile. “The best part is, there will always be new dreams. You are strong and young. I see many new purposes in your future. Just have faith in yourself, and the way will become clear.”

She left him to mull over her words. Coming out of her crouch, she turned to head over to where she had heard the sounds of the battle. The fog was still obscuring her vision, but it was less thick than before. She could actually faintly see the outline of two forms in the distance. She took a step in that direction, but before she could take another, a bright flash and the sound of cackling air made her stop in surprise. In an instant, the two forms in the distance collided in a thunderous clap.

Heart in her throat, Juno dashed forward, hoping that Kakashi and the children were alright. As she approached the scene, the fog cleared completely.

It was a dramatic tableaux. Zabuza: bloodied, covered in hound-like creatures, eyes open in an expression of shocked surprise. Kakashi: fist extended, buried in Zabauza’s torso up to the wrist. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were nearby, along with Tazuna. All seemed unharmed from where she stood, but Juno wouldn’t be satisfied until she knew for sure.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zabuza collapsed, the hounds surrounding him releasing his body from the grips of their jaws. Kakashi stood tall, looking down at the fallen enemy. Juno approached slowly, making no effort to muffle the sound of her approach. She soon garnered the attention of the group. 

Sakura and Naruto ran up to her side, exclaiming loudly. Sasuke ambled over, less eager but still seemed to be relieved to see her.

“Juno-chan!”

“You’re alright!”

She patted their heads distractedly, eyes remaining on the form of their teacher. Kakashi was looking her over as well, taking stock of her injuries. He had once again resumed a slouched stance, although his nonchalant facade was a little more difficult to maintain with blood stains tracking all the way up his arm and a corpse just behind him. As he fully turned towards her, Juno could also see traces of blood on his chest as well, perhaps the result of an injury.

“I was just on my way to save you from that freaky mirror-trap jutsu, Juno-chan!” Naruto shouted, “but then I saw that huuuge fire! That was so crazy! Was that you who did that?” He was pretty jazzed up, hopping about like Asa when he had eaten too many sugar-snap berries. “Did you get that Haku guy? We got Zabuza pretty good, although I have to admit Kakashi-sensei did most of the work.” 

Sakura smacked him upside the head. “Naruto, would you shut up for just a second? Give her a second to breathe!” She turned to look Juno over, and exclaimed over the needles that still protruded from her body. “Ouch! Those look like they hurt! We were worried when you and Haku disappeared into the fog, and when we saw the fire, we got really worried.” She paused, “that really was you wasn’t it, though?”

“Yeah, that was me”, Juno replied. Now that the battle was over, she could feel the pain from her myriad injuries edging in. She was going to need to pull the needles out soon and heal the pin-prick cuts. She was not looking forward to it.

“So, Haku is dead?” Kakashi inquired, approaching the group. 

“No, he’s alive. I left him trussed-up just over there.” She indicated over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Kakashi nodded, and sighed deeply. “It's over, then.” He sounded tired. Perhaps, despite being a battle-hardened ninja, killing Zabuza took more out of him than he wanted to admit.

“Don’t be so sure about that.”

They spun around. At the very edge of the bridge, just beyond where some of the mist lingered, a group of men emerged from the fog like spectres. At the fore of the group was a stout man with long, ragged, auburn hair, a thin moustache, and a receding hairline. He was wearing dark spectacles that made his eyes look like those of an insect. In one hand he held a cane, the other hand was encased in a cast. The thugs surrounding him were a rag-tag group, but they all looked as mean as scorpion-snakes.

“Gato, I presume?” intoned Kakashi, as their group readied themselves for battle once more. Juno grit her teeth against the pain of her injuries and mentally prepared herself, shoving the discomfort to the back of her mind.

“At your service. I should really be thanking you, you know, for getting rid of Zabuza. Now I don’t have to pay his exorbitant fee.” Gato sneered. Juno felt a wave of anger at his remark. Such a blatant disregard for life was disgusting to her, the mark of a true animal. Although, even animals respected the balance of nature. The man in front of her could not even be said to do that much.

Juno stepped up closer to where Kakashi stood, putting the three children and Tazuna behind her. She glanced at him. He was in his classic nonchalant posture, slouched with his hands in his pockets. With the mask and headband covering one eye it was hard to gauge his condition accurately. “You up for this?” 

“Ehh, not really, I used up too much chakra.” He remarked to her quietly, eyes on the group in front of them never wavering.

“Okayyy,” she drew the sound out, thinking quickly.

Honestly, their odds didn’t look great. Kakashi and Juno were tired out from their respective battles. The thugs in front of them didn’t look as lethal as Zabuza and Haku had been, but looks could be deceiving, and even weak enemies could get a lucky hit in. Not to mention, the sheer size of the opposing force was severely skewing the odds in against them. Even with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura pitching in, they were likely to be overwhelmed by numbers alone. Juno heaved an internal sigh and prepared to enter the Avatar state once more. She didn’t like to rely on it too often as it left her tired and vulnerable. Using it twice in one afternoon was going to be killer on her physical and spiritual strength. But what choice did she have?

Suddenly, Juno sensed an incoming projectile coming in from behind moments before an arrow struck the ground in front of them, embedding into the hard concrete. Juno blinked in surprise and whipped around. If more enemies were behind them, then they were royally screwed.

It took two more blinks for the sight in front of her to register. There was another crowd of people armed to the teeth at their backs, but they were not foes, but friends! It was the Land of Waves villagers, with Tsunami and Inari at the fore. They were armed with crossbows, pikes, and hammers. Juno felt a grin spread across her face and saw Naruto whoop in joy.

“Yeah! Now we’re talking!” he exclaimed, fist pumping the air.

It looked like the odds were in their favour now. The group of thugs began to look uneasy at the appearance of the civilian force, clearly not expecting so much resistance. That unease became outright panic as Naurto and Kakashi used some of their crazy-ninja powers to create an army of clones. They broke formation and made a mad dash towards the vessel they came in on, climbing over each other in their panic. From where she stood, Juno saw the moment the short form of Gato was overcome and trampled in the chaotic stampede. The look of panic on his face was gratifying, if somewhat disturbing, to watch.

As the group in front of them disbanded and retreated, Juno felt herself relax once more. The cheers of the crowd of townspeople and the three children swallowed the sound of her sigh, which she felt down to her marrow.

Through the exuberance of the celebration around her and her own relief, Juno felt a stirring of unease. Zabuza, and she suspected Gato as well, had been dispatched permanently, but Haku was still trapped in her ice prison a short distance away. What were they going to do with him?

As though reading her mind, Kakashi strolled over to where the young boy was imprisoned. He gave her a bit of a side-eye when they skirted the perimeter of the damage left behind from her firestorm, and Juno shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

They approached the still form of the boy, and Kakashi crouched down by his head.

“So then, what do we do with you?” he mused, staring down at him. Haku remained unchanged from the last time she had seen him. Dejected, sullen, yet rather stoic, without any traces of weeping or fear. Haku didn’t answer, just kept his head turned away from them, staring blankly into the distance. Juno’s heart went out to him.

“Should we bring him back to Konoha?” inquired Sakura, who had come up silently behind them, as well as a small crowd consisting of Naruto, Sasuke, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari.

“If we did, he’d likely end up in T&I. They’ll want to study his kekkei genkai, maybe figure out how to pick it apart and use it to benefit the village. Either that or he’ll end up under constant guard. The village would consider him too dangerous and unstable to be left alone.” Kakashi trailed off, then added quietly, “that is, if they don’t outright execute him. It’s likely he and Zabaza are responsible for the deaths of many Konoha-nin.”

Juno felt her stomach drop in dread. “Surely there must be another way! He was being manipulated by someone much older and stronger than him. And he’s just a child!”

Kakashi looked at her. “He’s considered an adult in the ninja world. If you are old enough to kill, you are old enough to face the consequences for your actions.” He sounded grim, “or at least, that’s how the village elders will see it.”

Juno turned away, looking over the side of the bridge at the distant horizon. She felt a welling of frustration and despair. The thought of the young man in front of her facing such a bleak future was hard to stomach. Juno knew that he had committed crimes, even killed, while under the influence of Zabuza. But anyone could see that it had been the result of grooming and manipulation that had forced Haku’s hand. 

“But it’s not fair! Haku could have killed me if he wanted to while we were fighting.” She gestured to the needles sticking out of her body. “Any one of these needles could have struck me in the throat, or my eyes, or my heart, and ended me in an instant. But Haku didn’t want to kill me! He only fought us in the first place because Zabuza forced him to.” Her hand cut down in a sharp motion. “And now Zabuza is dead. Haku is freed from his influence. Surely we can give him a chance to show that he can make different choices given the opportunity.”

“Yeah, sensei! It’s not fair!” Naruto chimed in, “it’s so hard to be good when everyone expects you to be bad. We just need someone to show Haku the ropes!” He struck a pose, “I know he’ll change given the chance, believe it!”

All during their conversation, Juno watched as Haku slowly lost the closed-off appearance to his gaze. Now he was staring at Naruto and Juno intently, as if they held all the secrets of the universe. She hoped that some of their conversation from earlier had managed to sink in. It broke her heart to imagine such a bright potential snuffed out.

Kakashi butted in, “And who’s going to be the one to show him the ropes, hm? You, Naruto? Or maybe you, Juno-san? That’s a lot of responsibility to take on.”

Naruto deflated, but Juno was silent, pondering the question seriously. She regarded the porcelain-doll features of the boy below her and tried to imagine what it would be like. Could she manage taking him under her wing? She felt confidently that he just needed a proper mentor and the opportunity to change and grow , but was that person her? She felt like a bit of a disaster-case at the moment, so out of step with the reality of this new world she had found herself in. Not to mention, she hadn’t properly dealt with her grief surrounding the loss of her friends, family, and sense of purpose. With so much baggage, could she really do justice to what the boy needed?

But, at the same time, how could she refuse? Although the title didn’t mean a lick to the people around her, Juno was still the Avatar. That meant she had a responsibility to help people when she could. 

Besides, it was only fair to take responsibility for the outcome she wanted. It would be hypocritical to object to Haku’s imprisonment or death if she wasn’t willing to provide another solution personally.

Resolved, Juno straightened her spine and opened her mouth to agree. But before she could utter a syllable, another voice spoke up.

“We’ll take him.”

Juno whipped her head around to face the speaker. It was Tsunami, her hand resting on Inari’s head. Her gaze was steely and resolute, as though challenging someone to defy her.

“Whaa? Are you crazy, Tsunami?” Tazuna cried out from beside her. She turned to face him head on.

“No father, I’m not crazy! Juno is right, the boy just needs someone to show him how to live right. That villian did wrong by him. With us he’ll grow into a fine young man.” She nodded definitively. “It’s what Kaiza would have wanted. You won’t fight me on this!” That last ended up as a bit of a shout. It was clear to them all that she would not budge from her stance. Juno smiled and felt a surge of respect for the woman. After so much pain and suffering, she was still willing to open her heart to others. The monks at her temple would have held this woman up as a Sage.

“Ehh…” Tazuna rubbed the back of his head, but after a moment, shrugged and grinned widely. “Seems like I won’t be able to change your mind,” he stuck his hands on his hips. “Alright! Welcome to the family, Haku! I hope you like building bridges!”

Haku was watching the proceedings in silence, but wore an expression of amazed disbelief. Juno approached his head and looked down at him. “How about it Haku? You ready for your next purpose? ‘Cause this family right here seems to be looking for a new member.” She looked deeply into his eyes, making sure he was paying close attention. “Now, don’t think this is going to be easy. I know for a fact they’ll have high expectations for you, there’s a big pair of shoes that needs filling.” She nodded definitively, “and this village is going to need someone strong to keep goons like Gato from targeting them as easy prey. It’s a big job.”

They all waited in hushed silence while Haku mulled it over. Juno was glad to see he was taking the question seriously. A lesser person would have agreed outright in order to escape a more severe punishment, but Juno knew that he had no fear of pain. Just fear of a lack of belonging. She held her breath while waiting for him to respond. She felt like she was going to burst with impatience.

“I consent.” His voice was shaky, but clear. Juno smiled and released a breath. Naruto’s and Inari’s cheering filled the air.

Juno looked towards Kakashi before releasing the ice prison. Despite her desires, she could recognize that they were bending some of the rules here. As the senior warrior, Kakashi needed to agree to their solution before Juno felt confident in taking any action. Although she would argue with him, if Kakashi felt determined to bring Haku to his village to face justice, how could she outright refuse? She didn’t have any knowledge of this world’s laws, and knew enough about the relativity of cultural norms to understand that there was no single morally superior choice here. She could only hope that he would agree.

He met her eyes over the prone form of Haku. He seemed to understand the wordless question in her gaze. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘why not?’  
With a few quick thrusts of her hands, Juno melted the ice encasing Haku’s body. He rose shakily, body tired and cold from being trapped in ice. His expression was unsure, but had just enough hope hiding within that Juno’s heart swelled two sizes to see it. 

Tsunami wandered over to help Juno remove the needles still penetrating her back and sides. She couldn’t help but wince as each metal sliver was plucked from her skin and quickly bent some of the water nearby to soothe the pain from her abused nerve endings. As Tsunami made her way around her body, Juno murmured quietly to her “You’re amazing, you know.”

Tsunami blushed and replied, “Oh quiet, you should talk.” 

Juno snickered softly, and they finished their work in silence. Once done healing the bulk of her injuries, Juno dropped her healing water and stretched her arms over her head. The pain had faded to a dull ache. It would take a few days longer to heal completely, but the worst of it was gone.

A few hours later, Juno was leaning against the railing of the dock surrounding Tazuna’s home while nursing a cup of sake. The bulk of the civilian crowd had ended up returning to the bridge-builder’s home and a party was in full swing. A throng of food and drink had streamed in from the surrounding houses and a strange box that made music in a way Juno didn’t understand was pumping out a lively tune. It was a jovial atmosphere.

Juno sipped her beverage slowly, enjoying the burn of alcohol as it slid down her throat. She had drunk enough that her mind felt warm and floaty. The sake was a home brew from one of Tazuna’s neighbours and was being passed around liberally. Juno had been keeping an eye on Sakura and the two boys to make sure nobody snuck a sip, though, with how much stress and danger they had gone through that afternoon, she’d probably pretend not to notice if they just wanted to try a small taste.

As she lowered her cup after another pull, Juno heard the sliding doors behind her open and close again, the noise from inside briefly rising to an almost deafening level before cutting off. The wooden boards of the dock creaked as someone approached to join her at the edge of the balcony. From the corner of her eye, Juno saw a shock of silver hair against a dark uniform. Kakashi had shed his green vest and rolled the sleeves of his dark shirt up. She supposed that was his way of dressing ‘casual’.

The tall man was nursing his own cup of sake, handling the small cup in his large hands delicately while joining her to lean against the railing. They didn’t speak at first, just mutually admired the splash of vibrant colour as the sun set over the water.

Finally, Juno broke the silence. “It’s not too bad out here, you know? If you can ignore the smell of fish, that is.”

Kakashi huffed, and tapped the side of his nose. “Speak for yourself. I couldn’t ignore that smell if I was dead.”

Juno giggled. She turned and leaned her back against the railing, facing the house. Through the window, she could see the three young ninja she had gotten to know the past week speaking animatedly with each other. Even the normally stoic Sasuke looked happy and relaxed. In her peripheral vision, she could see Kakashi looking at her.

“So, if you think it's not so bad, does that mean you’ve decided to stay here?” He inquired.

“Tsunami and Tazuna did offer a little while ago,” she said. “I am tempted, to be honest. They’re good people and this is a nice community.”

“But?”

She smiled wryly. “Well, for all their generosity, they did already just agree to take on another mouth to feed. I’m not really sure what I could contribute here that Haku wouldn’t be able to offer. I’d hate to be a burden. And besides…”

“Besides what?” He prompted while she paused.

“Ah, well. I’ve never really been settled anywhere before. I was always on the move with Avatar training, or trips to settle disputes, or diplomatic missions. I’m not sure I know how to ‘stay’ anywhere.” She faced him and smiled. “And there’s a whole new world to see. Maybe I’ll just wander around for a while. I am originally an Air Nomad after all”

He ‘hmm’ed’ in reply, considering her answer. A boisterous burst of laughter spilled out from inside and filled silence that stretched between them. Juno felt a sense of deep contentment rise from her center. 

“You could always come with us to Konoha.”

“Huh?” Juno replied in surprise, caught off guard. Kakashi was looking at her intently with his one dark eye, displaying an intensity that she hadn’t seen from him before.

“Wandering around aimlessly would be a waste of your abilities. Come with us to Konoha. You can speak with the Hokage, convince him to enstate you as a ninja of our village, and continue to do some of the work you were expecting to do as the Avatar.”

She stared at him in mute surprise. She had the passing thought to ask if she could come with them to their village as the first stop in exploring the world, but never had the idea to try and stay there. But now, she gave serious thought to the idea. 

It had its appeal. For one, it would mean not saying goodbye to ‘Team Seven’. She had gotten rather attached to Sakura and the rest of them over the last week and hadn’t been looking forward to their separation. Hearing them rave about their village had also piqued her interest. It seemed like an interesting place to live, full of people with amazing abilities like the ninja in front of her.

Having a specific purpose also hugely appealed to Juno’s sense of duty. Wandering the world aimlessly had been her decision because she had no real alternative, but she had figured she would eventually discover some fulfilling vocation and settle into contributing to the world around her. Could she do that as a ninja? Take on missions like the ones her friend’s had protecting Tazuna? If the last week was any indication, it would be challenging and interesting work. She wouldn’t be bored, that's for sure.

As she thought about it, she felt a smile creep onto her face. “You really think I could?”

“I wouldn’t mention it if I didn’t think it was possible.” He said, watching her face carefully. Though it was hard to tell with the mask, she thought she could see traces of a smile in his expression too.

She blew out a big breath, “I’ll have to think about it. I don’t want to make a choice like this lightly. Give me until the morning?”

“I’ll do you one better. We’re sticking around for another day or two until the bridge is completely finished. Why don’t you think about it until then?” He said, getting up from his lean. He gently gathered her empty sake cup from her limp grip and raised an eyebrow at her, “Get you a refill?”

“Sure” She responded distractedly, her mind already spinning with possibilities. He quietly re-entered the house through the sliding doors.

Alone for the moment, Juno took a deep breath through her nose. From the story above, Asa dropped down silently, perching on the balcony beside her and wrapping one fuzzy arm around her head. He cooed at her and tugged at her hair.

“Had enough of the noise inside, huh buddy?” She stroked his soft fur in return, and basked in the feeling of contentment that he always brought her. She smiled at his dark face and poked his nose. “Asa, how do you feel about becoming a ninja-leopard-monkey? Think we could kick some bad-guy ass?”

He chirruped at her, and she smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes Wave Arc! From here on out we'll start seeing bigger deviations from the anime cannon. No apologies for giving Haku a happier ending than in the original.
> 
> Look forward to hearing what you guys thought of the chapter!


	7. How to Bend

“Whaa?! So you’re saying you all lived inside a mountain?” Naruto scoffed.

“No, I told you, the temple was carved into a cliff fault in the Caihong mountains. Only a few parts of the temple actually went really deep underground. And the whole temple was designed so that air could flow throughout the passages and chambers almost constantly. It didn’t really feel like living underground at all.” Juno said. “Only a few chambers, like the giant Pai Sho room or the Room of a Thousand Echos were actually inside the cliff.”

Talking about the Western Air Temple was making Juno nostalgic. It had been several years since she had been able to visit her childhood home, but her memories of the temple were crystal-clear. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself walking along the lofty halls, or gliding around the surrounding mountainside with the girls from her cohort. She could picture with almost perfect clarity the small room she shared with her two best friends - the small pot of bamboo Ami struggled to keep alive, and the cloying scent of Li Fen’s favourite incense. The thought of her old friends brought the familiar sting of sadness, though it had faded over the course of the last seven years. Now, Juno could think of them without feeling an abyss of depression, just the ache of an old wound, never fully healed.

“What’s Pai Sho?” Sakura asked. Juno shook her head of the morose memories, glad of the distraction.

“It’s a strategy and chance game. You play with tiles and a gridded board...but the rules change depending on where you are. I’ve played versions where you have a time limit and you need to play quickly, but I’ve played others where matches can be stretched across several days…”

“Hmm, sounds like shogi” Sasuke spoke up from behind them. He was keeping pace with Kakashi at the rear of the group, but would occasionally pipe in with an observation or a question when he felt like it. Juno always felt a sense of personal victory when she could get him to join the conversation. The boy was too recalcitrant for his own good.

She angled her head to look at him from the corner of her eye. “Oh? Do you play games like that, Sasuke?”

“Not really.”

Sigh. Well there went that line of questioning.

Juno quirked her mouth in a self-deprecating smile and turned her attention back to the road. The path they were on was wide and well-worn, although Juno could see it becoming even more so now that the bridge to the Land of Waves had been completed. She hoped that the completion of the bridge would lead to the increase in trade, commerce, and travel that Tazuna and the others so desperately worked for.

Thinking of the bridge builder and the newly dubbed ‘Great Naruto Bridge’ made Juno think once again about the painful goodbyes she had made two days prior. After careful deliberation, she had decided to take Kakashi up on the offer to return with Team Seven to Konoha and speak to their Hokage. That meant saying goodbye to Tsunami, whom she had grown to think of as a friend, and young Haku, who had been slowly settling into his new home.

_“Do you think we’ll ever see you again?” Tsunami asked from over her cup of tea. They were relaxing on the settees in the small parlor adjacent to her bedroom, where Juno had comforted her just a few days before. They had recently started an evening ritual taking tea in her rooms after dinner, using the time to discuss certain topics away from the rambunctious kids or the men of the house._

_Juno had just broken the news that she would be leaving with the ninja when they departed for Konoha the following morning. She had made the decision not long ago and had been waiting for the right time to discuss her choice with Tsunami in private. The older woman had given her plenty of space to think about it, not trying to sway her either way, which Juno appreciated. Now, she braced herself for the note of wistfulness and the sheen of tears that graced Tsunami’s gaze. She felt the slight welling of tears herself. Though they had known each other for only a short while, both women had felt a kinship with the other. Juno was used to making fast bonds with people she met through her travels, and it was always hard to say goodbye when the time came. This time would be no different._

_“I hope so. I’m not entirely sure what my life will be like once we reach the village. It could be a long time before that happens.” Juno replied honestly. Kakashi had given her a decent idea of what the life of a shinobi was like. If she ultimately decided to pursue that path, it was likely that her ability to roam the world unrestricted would come to an end. It was a hard pill to swallow, especially considering how tempting it would be to check on the small family she had grown close to._

_“Well, you’ll just have to write us as often as you can. I’m sure Haku would appreciate updates on how everyone is doing. I’ll write down our address for you.” Tsunami rose from her seat to bustle over to a small set of drawers, quickly scribbling the aforementioned information on a small slip of paper. If she took the minute to subtly swipe the moisture from her eyes, Juno pretended not to notice._

_Juno smiled as she accepted the piece of paper. She had had many pen pals in her original universe - eclectic collections of friends and acquaintances that she kept in frequent contact with. It had been part of her expected duties as the Avatar to maintain correspondence with people from the diverse nations for diplomatic reasons, though some she just wrote to for her own selfish reasons. It would be nice to keep the practice up if she decided to make Konoha her permanent home._

Juno blinked the memory away just as a cloud passed over the sun, casting the landscape into soft shades of green and grey. In her mind’s eye, she could feel the piece of paper with Tsunami’s address carefully folded in the interior pocket of the travelling pack the family had given her as a farewell gift. She made a mental note to remember to ask Kakashi how the mail system worked in this world. She hadn’t seen any Messenger Hawks flying around, so she assumed they used some different method of delivering correspondence.

Her goodbye to Haku had been slightly different, but no less bittersweet, than her goodbye to Tsunami. In the two days since the battle on the Great Naruto Bridge, Haku had been settling - a little awkwardly, a little shyly - into the family dynamic of the Bridgebuilder’s home. He had spent most of that time tailing Naruto and the others, who insisted on jump-starting his ‘education’ in how to be a ‘normal person’.

Though, Juno thought to herself wryly, it’s ironic that such a wildly rambunctious and diverse set of children think that they’re the experts on being ‘normal’.

He had also spent a lot of time with Inari, who had decided to take ‘his new brother’ under his wing. It had been a sweet joy to watch the typically closed off Haku slowly blossom under the bright attention of the other children. He had taken to smiling quietly during dinner at the other’s antics, and asking soft-spoken questions which everyone always quieted down to listen to and respond.

_“Do you truly believe you will find your purpose in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Juno-san?” Haku had asked her. She had been meditating before bed, perched cross-legged on the roof of the windmill adjacent to the house - the same place where she had carefully debated the merits of revealing her true story to the group in what seemed like a lifetime ago._

_She opened her eyes from her meditative trance, and looked over to Haku, who was mirroring her seated position just to her right. She hadn’t heard him climb up the side of the windmill to join her, though, considering he was a ninja, she supposed that shouldn’t have been too surprising. She took the time to ponder his question, gazing out across the water, brightly illuminated by the full moon._

_“It could be. I won’t know until I give it a chance.” She replied. He nodded at that, and joined her in looking out across the waves. She observed him out of the corner of her eye. The change in him after two short days had been astounding to see. His eyes, which had once been cold and calculating, had turned doe-soft, and his face had lost the porcelain-doll quality to it. Instead, his fine features seemed to light up, as though illuminated from a quiet warmth within. It was clear to see that the prospect of finding a home with the Bridgebuilder’s family had brought him internal peace. Juno was slightly envious of him._

_“I hope you find what you are looking for.” He stated, meeting her eyes with a shy gaze._

_Juno gently returned his smile. “Me too Haku, me too.”_

Coming back to herself, Juno noticed that the day had progressed well beyond mid-afternoon. The group had just recently left the main road to enter the surrounding woodlands in what Kakashi assured her was the most direct path to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Juno supposed, with a name like that, it would make sense that there were no obvious marked paths leading to it, but it still felt like they were just wandering through the wilderness.

Juno didn’t really mind the travelling. The weather had been getting progressively warmer the further inland they traveled, and she had taken to keeping her poncho rolled up inside her pack in concession to the heat. It was also hard to be bored when she was constantly inundated with questions about herself and her original home world. At certain points she had to beg off the conversation. If it got to be too much, she’d just shoot a pleading look in Kakashi’s direction, and he would divert the children’s attention with some training exercise or other. Like listing off the edible plants in the area, or practicing scouting ahead of the group without detection. It was nice to have such an observant and intuitive travelling companion.

As the sun began its final descent, the clouds that had been threatening rain most of the afternoon finally broke open. The group decided to stop for the night early to get out of the rain, and Juno had Asa scout for a good place to set up camp while they hid from the downpour under the thick canopy of a large tree. Asa’s thick pelt was pretty water-resistant, so the weather didn’t bother him as much.

He eventually led them to a jutting outcrop of rocks, which Juno earthbended into a shallow cave. They laid out their sleeping rolls in a tight formation underneath the rock shelf, then played a game of ‘rock, paper, kunai’ to figure out who was unlucky enough to be the one venturing into the deluge for firewood. After Naruto left, grumbling under his breath, Juno took the time to gently waterbend the moisture out of the remaining member’s rain-soaked bodies.

“You sure are handy to have around Juno-chan!” Sakura exclaimed, sliding her fingers through her newly-dried hair.

Juno was a little distracted, answering her with a quiet ‘hmm’. She was slowly sending her water-bending awareness over Kakashi’s seated form, carefully connecting to and lifting every bead of moisture clinging to his body. All the while, she fought to keep a blush from rising in her face. Bending the water away from the kids had felt perfunctory and practical, like washing the dishes after a meal. It felt slightly different with their teacher. Feeling her way around his body with her water-bending was kind of an intimate experience. She couldn’t help but be aware that she was manipulating water that was clinging to the fine hair on his chest and thighs, and that the body under her roving senses was very masculine and fit. She tried to complete the task as quickly as possible while still managing to do a good job. It didn’t help that he smiled his thanks to her with a charmingly upturned eye.

To distract herself, Juno asked a question she had been pondering for some time. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why do you call me Juno-chan?”

“Ehh?” Sakura responded, off guard. “What do you mean? You don’t want us to?”

“It's not that, it's just…” Juno said, focusing on the pink-haired girl. “What does it mean?”

“What does it...you mean, you don’t use honorifics in your world?” Sakura said.

“Honorifics? Like, ‘your imperial majesty’ or ‘my lady’ and stuff like that?” Juno said. “Is that what ‘chan’ is?”

“Umm, well it's almost the opposite of those things actually. ‘Chan’ is something you’d add to the name of a female friend. It's kind of cutesy and more familiar than the generic and more formal ‘san’ which can be used for both genders.” Now that Sakura was warmed up to the topic, she fell into her usual lecturing mode. “Then there ‘kun’, which is like ‘chan’ but for boys. And ‘sama’ is highly referential and formal, reserved for figures of high authority.” She turned to look at Juno. “You don’t have those where you’re from?”

“We have the term ‘seifu’ which we would call our teachers...I’m guessing that’s why you guys call Kakashi ‘sensei’?” Juno realized, looking to Sakura’s nod for confirmation. “We also have the term ‘guru’ which is reserved for spiritual leaders...hmm” Juno trailed off pondering. “Well, that makes sense then. You can call me Juno-chan if you want to!” She paused. “Wait, does that mean I’ve been too informal with you all? Should I be calling you Kakashi-san and all that?”

“Ehh, you don’t have to.” The man spoke up from behind his book, which he had settled into reading almost as soon as she had finished drying him off. “Normally, if you meet someone new, you’d refer to them by their family name plus the ‘san’ honorific, then maybe their given name with it.” He shrugged “But you can keep calling me ‘Kakashi’ if you want to.”

The blush Juno had been fighting before suddenly rose to the fore and she ducked her head, hiding her face behind the thick fringe of her bangs. To think, she had completely stumbled over a complete set of etiquette and gone straight to the most familiar way of referring to him. She had probably come across as really forward. She was glad that this issue had come to light before they entered the village and she embarrassed herself in front of the whole village, and was glad Kakashi didn’t seem too bothered by the whole thing. She supposed her observations of him suggested that he wouldn’t find such social conventions too important, but that was pure luck. It was clear she still had plenty to learn!

To recover from her slight embarrassment, Juno cocked her head to the silent fourth member of their group and addressed him, “So Sasuke, does that mean I can call you ‘Sasuke-kun’?”

Just as she thought, the quiet boy turned a delightful pinkish hue at the suggestion. He squirmed slightly from where he sat munching on the generous provisions they had been supplied with by Tazuna. He swallowed his mouthful of food and mumbled, “Tch, if you really wanted to, there’s nothing I could do to stop it.”

“Ah, I’ll start doing it all the time, then.”

“Whatever.” Despite his seeming reluctance, Juno noticed he never said no. She took that to mean he simply didn’t want to admit that he was okay with the idea.

Soon enough, Naruto returned with a large stack of fire-wood, collected in record time with the help of his trusty shadow clones, something he bragged about as soon as he re-entered their makeshift shelter. He also took the opportunity to shake the water off his body like a beast, spraying them all in the process. Sakura squealed, and Juno humored him with an indignant cry of her own, with Sasuke adding an annoyed ‘idiot!’ from his corner. Kakashi merely ducked behind the shield of his water-resistant blanket, eyes never straying from the pages of his book.

He came out of his shake with a grin, clearly proud of his effect on them. It was so disarming that Juno couldn’t hold a grudge against him, even if it meant bending more water out of everyone’s clothing. After a few more squawks and squabbles, the group settled in for the night. Asa tucked himself into her sleeping bag with a few turns and curled up to sleep.

Juno had volunteered to take the first watch, and so perched on a stone next to the fire, gazing out into the darkness of the forest. The warm crackle of the flames and the chirping of night-time insects lulled her into a light meditation. Listening to the soft snores of her companions at her back, Juno’s mind turned towards what the next day would bring. Kakashi expected to reach the village by mid-morning. Once there, they would have a meeting with the Hokage that could possibly determine the course of her future in this world.

Instead of feeling anxious, she felt a strange sense of tranquility. Now that she had made a decision, she just had to see it through to its natural conclusion. That was just a matter of trusting her abilities and intuition. And her intuition is what led her to the decision in the first place. Breathing in the cool night air and the fragrant smoke from the fire, Juno turned her mind to the moment that sealed her decision.

_Juno was laying at the edge of the deck surrounding Tazuna’s house, her tall boots laying next to her and her feet swaying through the brackish water. She had stuck her legs through the gaps in between the poles of the railing, and had her arms tucked behind her head. Kakashi was seated against the walls of the house a few paces away, book propped open in front of his nose. They had both been spending the last two days relaxing - neither one especially inclined to be productive after the stress of the last week. Juno had spent the day prior recovering from a slight hangover and taking naps in strategically peaceful locations - namely, wherever the four young ninja of their group were not. Likely for the same reason, Kakashi was often found nearby with his beloved book. He had given his students ‘the days off’ to do whatever they wanted, which ended up including exploring the village, sparring, or trying to bug Haku into spending ‘normal people time’ with them._

_Though her body felt rested and relaxed, Juno’s mind definitely wasn’t. She had been spending the last two days mulling over Kakashi’s offer from the night of the party. There were good reasons for and against the choice of returning with the group of ninja to their village._

_Firstly, based on what she had observed from this world so far, it appeared as though ninja village affiliation was one of the only things that conferred a sense of social value and prestige. ‘Rogue ninja’ such as Zabuza, were seen as little more than thugs, vagabonds, or at the very least, no one of consequence. If Juno wanted to continue doing some of the work she wanted to as the Avatar she’d need to have social leverage. The only reason people had deferred to her judgement and will in her original world was because the name of ‘Avatar’ had carried with it an intense level of social clout, something she had none of here._

_The downside, of course, was the fact that Juno would have to sacrifice the impartiality she had enjoyed in her original world. To be a ninja, she would have to swear fealty only to Konoha, and their Hokage. Being loyal to one group of people rather than all humankind definitely went against her training and expectations as the Avatar._

_But she had adapted before. As an Air Nomad monk, Juno had been raised to believe that achieving spiritual enlightenment was the loftiest goal one could have. She had been taught to eschew all earthly attachments, and to purify her spirit by valuing the sanctity of life above all else._

_When she had been revealed as the new Avatar, Juno had to let go of some of those goals. To be the Avatar was to be attached to the world. To give herself solely to the service of humanity and spirits, at the expense of all else. She couldn’t be detached from the dirtier aspects of that role. Getting involved in politics, diplomacy, arbitration - that meant dealing with material wealth, and with grey area morality._

_And getting involved with armed conflict, well, that was something else entirely. It's not as if she had been able to approach a group of violent bandits who had been terrorizing a town and just convince them to ‘value all human life’, or for the villagers to simply ‘detach themselves from their earthly desires’. At the end of the day, she had needed to use force. Even to the death._

_If she could go from being an Air Nomad monk to being the Avatar, couldn’t she do it again? Could she adapt and evolve into yet another version of herself, a ninja of Konoha? At its core, being an airbender was all about freedom and finding the path of least resistance. That includes freedom from static states of being, from dogmatic thinking. It seemed to her that the path to becoming a ninja was the path of least resistance to achieving a sense of purpose and place in this new world. If she had to sacrifice some of her old ideals and values to do so, then so be it._

_And if she found her new reality to be too untenable, then she would change again. The freedom to act as she saw fit would never be completely sacrificed, even if she did swear fealty to this ‘Hokage’. She would always be free to choose her own destiny, even if the only choice was between doing what she thought was right, and death._

_Juno slowly raised herself unto her elbows, then shifted her weight all the way forward and sat upright. She gripped the poles of the deck railing in front of her, then looked over towards where Kakashi sat._

_“I’ve decided.” She said. He looked up from his book, folding it shut with a finger between the pages to keep his place. His expression was difficult to discern, as usual, but she could see that he was paying close attention._

_“What’ll it be, then?”_

_Juno smiled, “I will come with you to Konoha,” she said._

_She could see his posture ease slightly, and his expression tipped easily into a returning smile. Juno had never noticed how much emotion could be conveyed within a single eye, but it was clear to her that he was pleased with her decision. Juno was happy as well, swinging her feet with renewed vigor in the cool water._

_“The kids will be pleased.”_

_Juno let out a short laugh, “Ha! I can hear Naruto shouting now. I’ll go tell them.” She rose from her position on the deck and quickly dried her feet before donning her shoes._

_“My ears thank you.” Kakashi said dryly, returning to his book._

A sharp snap in the fire drew Juno out of her reverie. She blinked, and turned to add another log into the flames. She briefly used her firebending to stir it back into activity, then rose from her seat to go wake Sakura, who had the next watch. She saw the girl yawn widely and sit in on the same stone Juno had occupied only moments before.

The rain had quieted to a light sprinkle. Juno softly adjusted Asa within her sleeping roll to accommodate herself as well. Laying down on her back with her arms thrown overhead, she let the quiet sounds of the night lull her to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we see where the title of the story comes into play. "Bend, Not Break" not only is a play on words ('Bend' v 'bending'), but also touches on a major theme in this story, which is about the changes that come in life and how we can adapt to them instead of succumbing to them. I hope you like Juno's internal thought process. This was an important chapter for her character!
> 
> Can't wait to hear what you think!


	8. Welcome to Konoha

Juno had believed that Tazuna’s village was large and rather stately, despite the slightly run-down look caused by their recent economic troubles. There had been several two-story homes, a robust main street market, and no homes built with the clay-and-straw-thatched methods so common outside the capital cities of her homeworld. Though many of its citizens had been turned onto the streets due to poverty, evidence of the land’s former wealth had been evident in the town’s architectural bones.

Or, so she had thought.

Now, staring in wonderment down the main street of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Juno could see that she had been mistaken. The Land of Waves was a veritable slum in comparison to the vibrant city before her.

In the back of her mind, Juno registered Kakashi speaking to the two guardsmen stationed at the village entrance. He appeared to be arranging her ability to be allowed within the village limits. Juno probably should have been paying more attention to what they were saying, but the sights and smells were too distracting.

The buildings were a blaze of colours and a haphazard hodge-podge of architectural styles. It was as if a legion of crazed builders had been let loose on the same tract of empty land and been told to build to their hearts desire. There was practically none of the ‘traditional’ style of building that she was used to. Everywhere she looked, there was smooth concrete, shingled tiles, painted wooden slates, brick, plaster, and materials she wasn’t sure she had the names for. Some buildings looked as though they had started off short and squat, but then had four or five additions put on each with their own distinct style.

And the smells. Like most towns and cities, the street leading into Konoha was lined with all sorts of small businesses. Drawing her particular attention were the myriad food vendors and restaurant stalls. From where she stood, Juno’s nose could detect the delectable smell of deep-fried food. But also smoked fish, freshly baked buns, the spice of a slow-boiling broth. She kept one hand delicately perched on Asa’s flank as he perched on her shoulder. If she didn’t pay attention to him, he’d surely make his way into one the nearby stall of brightly coloured fruit and dried peppers to sneak off with a snack. She didn’t particularly want her first afternoon in the village to be spent dealing with the fallout of his kleptomania.

The denizens of her new potential home also drew her eye. People walking along every direction going about their business, wearing enough variety of clothing styles, cuts, and designs to make her head spin. If Juno thought that her airbending tattoos would make her stand out, she was mistaken. From where she stood, she could see no fewer than half a dozen people with face-markings, brightly coloured hair every shade of the rainbow, and outfits that made Naruto’s orange jumpsuit look tame.

She could see that many of them wore the same outfit as Kakashi, clearly a standard uniform for shinobi. She saw quick movement from the roof-tops nearby as some of the ninja forgoed using the streets to a method of transit a little less pedestrian. Few of the people down below reacted to this sight, so Juno figured it must be a regular occurrence for a place calling itself a ‘ninja village’. The sight reminded her a little of monks using air gliders to get around the temples.

“Juno!”

She dragged her eyes away from the sights of the village to see Kakashi and the two guardsmen looking at her expectantly. It was clear that he had been trying to get her attention for some time. Feeling a bit sheepish – and probably appearing about as observant as a rock – Juno meandered towards them. “Sorry, what was that?” She said.

“I said, Izumo and Kotetsu need to know your family name for your temporary visa.” Kakashi replied.

“Oh.” Juno said. Entering the village required a lot more paperwork than she would have thought. “Ah, I don’t have one of those.”

“Not a problem.” said either Izumo or Kotetsu. Juno was ashamed to say she hadn’t been paying attention when they had been introduced. “A lot of foreigners don’t come from clans or major family lines. Often we just use the name of the land they’re from as a placeholder. Where were you coming from again?”

“Err…”

“Just put…’Soyokaze’” Kakashi supplied after a second, clearly not wanting to get into Juno’s strange origins with the two guards.

Juno wrinkled her nose slightly. Though it was no doubt an appropriate name, she wasn’t sure she liked the implication that her airbending skills were anything less than fearsome and awe-inspiring. Still, she figured ‘gentle breeze’ was as good as anything she could have come up with. She gave Kakashi a bit of a stink-eye, and his own crinkled at her in amusement, pleased by his little joke.

In a few more moments, Kakashi had things wrapped up with the guards. He approached where the three remaining members of their team had been loitering. The kids had been chipper that morning, excited to be coming home after their first long mission away. It was clear that they were anxious to be on their way, each of them fidgeting with impatience. As Kakashi came nearer, they all gathered around.

“Alright you three. I’ll be taking Juno over to the municipal office and then to Hokage Tower to debrief the mission. You’ll have the next three days off to yourselves before we resume training and taking missions.” His eye crinkled with a smile. “Make the most of your time, you’ve all earned it.”

Thus released, the three kids each made their ways off in different directions. Before she got too far, Sakura turned around to address Juno.

“Juno-chan, once you’re done speaking with the Hokage, you should come over to my house for dinner. My mom and dad would just love to meet you, and my mom’s cooking is better than anything!”

Juno blinked, then smiled as warmth suffused her chest. “That sounds great Sakura, but how will I find where you live?” she asked.

The question seemed to stump Sakura for a moment, but then Kakashi interrupted, “I’ll bring you by there once we’re done.”

Sakura grinned and waved goodbye before disappearing into the throng of people on the main street. Kakashi and Juno made their way along the same avenue at a slower pace. The going was slow, as Juno found it difficult to resist the temptation of stopping to peer into store fronts and inspecting the various foodstuff and merchandise that caught her eye. Pausing at one colourful street food vendor’s stall, she turned her best turtleduck eyes on to the silver-haired jounin, who merely sighed before buying her a small dish of fried dumplings.

She took a big bite of one and nearly jumped out of her skin when the hot filling burst into her mouth. She frantically fanned her hands at her face and tried to suck in air to cool her scalded tongue.

“Hot! Hot!” She panted. Kakashi just shook his head slowly at her antics.

“Are you sure you’re considered a bigshot where you’re from?” He queried dryly, as she hopped from one foot to another in a bizarre hot-dumpling jig.

She just flashed him a closed lipped smile as she continued to chew her snack, choosing not to dignify that with an answer.

Soon enough, they found themselves outside a large white-washed cylindrical building. The sign above the door identified it as the ‘Konohagakure Municipal Office’. The front doors, which Juno was amazed to see were made entirely of glass, caused her to jump back in surprise as they slid open magically at their approach. Kakashi had to call her further into the building when she lingered to test how they worked by walking up to, then away from the doors, watching in amazement as they opened and closed with a near-silent ‘woosh’ each time.

She jogged to his side at the receptionist’s desk with a wide smile. “Wow, you guys have some pretty amazing stuff here! How do those doors work exactly?”.

At that, the woman behind the desk looked at Kakashi with one eyebrow quirked as if to ask Where’d you pick this one up, then?

Juno chose to ignore the woman’s judgemental attitude. She figured there would be many similar reactions to her seemingly plebeian knowledge of ‘modern’ amenities, but her sense of curiosity was stronger than her desire to appear ‘normal’.

“Look, let’s just get you set up with your paperwork and do the debriefing, then you can learn all about the exciting world of electricity, hydraulics, and motion sensors.” Kakashi replied. He was leaning against the desk, for once without his precious book hanging in front of his nose. Juno just sighed in acquiescence. She should probably be more grateful that he was taking time out of his day to help her get set up in the village. She was sure he was just as eager as the kids had been to go home and unwind. But there was just so much to learn.

“We have some classes at the community college for people immigrating from rural areas to help them adjust to the modern way of living here in Konoha,” the receptionist supplied, handing Juno a few brochures. Juno brightened, and quickly re-categorized the women from ‘judgemental’ to ‘wonderfully helpful’ in her mind.

They spoke to the receptionist at length, filling out form after form. They had forms for everything it seemed. Forms for individuals without worldly goods, forms for individuals without funds, no she was not clan affiliated, no she was not a political refugee.

At the end of it all, Juno was the proud new wonder of a temporary visa, a fully-furnished short-term rental, and a bank account full of a small amount of funds supplied by the office.

The receptionist tucked the manila folder containing Juno’s information into a large filing cabinet and had her stand in front of a screen for her ‘I.D. photo.’ Juno just stared blankly at the point on the wall the woman directed her to look at and nearly jumped out of her skin at a sudden flash of light. With a few, efficient movements at her desk, the woman briskly slid a small card towards her.

Picking it up, Juno was astounded to see her perfect likeness staring back at her. Her expression was slightly startled, and she had a few wayward strands of hair sticking up at the back of her head that she hadn’t known about. Juno reached behind her to smooth them down and turned to pay attention to the last few instructions.

“Now, all this paperwork is just setting you up as a temporary resident. We’ll need permission from the Hokage’s office before we can get you applied for a permanent visa and instatement with ‘shinobi’ status. Just get them to send us the forms within the next three days and we’ll get it all taken care of on our end too.” She smiled sunnily at them, cheeks dimpling. “Just be sure to carry your temporary visa on your person at all times until then. All that’s left to say is ‘welcome to Konohagakure’, Miss Soyokaze”.

Juno returned her smile and bowed shallowly, thanking the woman for her time. Kakashi helped her gather up the forms and brochures Juno had been supplied and they exited the office together.

The sun was now past its zenith, the visit to the office taking a little over an hour. They decided to stop and eat lunch on the way to Hokage tower. Kakashi took her to a nearby restaurant, and they both ordered bento boxes to eat at the patio, with some fruit on the side for Asa. Juno felt oddly proud to pay for her meal with her ‘own’ money. The tender, flaky, teriyaki salmon was cooked and seasoned to perfection, and Juno savoured the lightly steamed vegetables after a few days of travelling rations.

Chewing thoughtfully on a mouthful of rice, Juno’s mind turned towards the conversation ahead of her. This wasn't even close to being the first time she had ever visited a foreign leader, and though she wasn’t well-schooled on the specific etiquette of this world, she wasn’t too worried about accidentally making a spectacle of herself. She was, however, a little concerned about how this Hokage was going to take her story. She was well-aware of how far-fetched it sounded.

Swallowing her food, Juno took a moment to address her companion. She and Kakashi were seated under a shaded table in a secluded corner of the restaurant’s outdoor patio. She had angled herself away from him so that he could remove his mask to eat privately. She made a show of stretching her arms above her head and slowly turning to face him fully, giving the nimble-fingered ninja plenty of time to make sure his mask was in place before she looked at him.

“So, any advice for this meeting we’re going to have?” she queried. She rested her chopsticks on the lip of the bento box and leaned back in her seat.

Kakashi had already finished his own meal, and was quietly regarding the slow parade of people passing in front of the restaurant. He returned the wave of a man walking by, taking some time considering the question. After a moment, he replied, “Be completely honest. He’ll know if you’re lying or holding back. Don’t worry too much about whether or not he’ll believe that the story is true. He’s been around the block enough that he knows the world isn’t always what we think it is.”

Juno nodded and looked away. She sensed the weight of his gaze on her.

“Don’t worry, he’s a fair man. With my testimony about your actions in the Land of Waves, he’ll be sure to consider you favourably. He’d be a fool to pass on such a powerful asset for the village.”

Instead of reassuring her, Kakashi’s assessment only made her feel apprehensive. Although the altruistic actions of team seven had endeared her to them and won over her trust, she couldn’t yet say the same for their military leader. She was worried that she would find him cold and calculating, merely measuring the worth of individuals based on their usefulness to him and the village. She hoped that her apprehension was unwarranted, but knew that she would find it impossible to work for a man whose morals she couldn’t trust. This conversation would be as much of a test for the Hokage to prove himself to her as it was for him to believe her story and accept her into the village.

Juno scooped Asa up off the table, causing him to squawk at her for interrupting his grooming session, and draped him across her shoulders as they rose from their seats. Once they left the restaurant’s patio area, it only took a few minutes to reach the entrance to the Hokage’s tower.

It was a trio of large red round buildings several stories high. They were framed by a brace of trees and a backdrop of the infamous Hokage mountains. Juno had heard all about the carved faces of the previous Hokages on the trip to the village. They were certainly an imposing bunch from her vantage point, which Juno was sure was the whole point. It was amusing to think of the stern faces covered with colorful doodles from Naruto’s ‘awesome prank’.

Once they entered, Kakashi quickly signed in at the front desk, and they were directed upstairs to wait in the seating area outside the Hokage’s office. Juno was surprised to find the décor in the tower to be quite austere. There were none of the ostentatious displays of wealth that were all too common in many of the palaces and homes of the political and cultural elite she had visited in the past. The chairs in the waiting room were plush and comfortable, and there were some paintings of rural landscapes dotting the walls, but beyond that, no decorative suits of armour, elaborately designed furnishings, or gilded sets of dressers. It made her feel a little more relaxed. Her upbringing with the monks had always made her feel a little uncomfortable with such things.

It didn’t take long before a masked individual opened the doors to the office and silently gestured for them to enter. Juno took a bracing breath, and rose to follow Kakashi inside.

The inside of the office was similar in style to the rest of the building. It was a rounded room, rather plain with the exception of the large windows covering the back wall. From here, it was easy to see a rather stunning view of the village, stretching off into the distance.

But Juno wasn’t there to enjoy the scenery. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the man seated behind the square wooden desk. He was older, probably late sixties to early seventies, dressed in gleaming white robes and a wide-brimmed hat. His hands were folded under his chin, and he was regarding them silently with dark, calculating eyes. In the few seconds it took them to stand together facing the desk, Juno was sure she had been assessed, categorized, and labeled with deadly accuracy. She wondered idly where she came out from that assessment.

She followed Kakashi’s lead and stood at attention just in front of the desk, waiting to be addressed.

“Well, Kakashi, we all know about your truancy issues when it comes to mission schedules, but returning over a week late from a simple C-ranked escort mission is pushing it, even for you.” The Hokage stated, voice even behind his folded hands. Juno shot a glance at her companion, who was sheepishly rubbing his hand at the back of his head.

He cleared his throat, “Well, this time there were some things out of my control. The situation changed and I made the decision to adjust the mission parameters.” He gestured towards Juno. “To summarize briefly, we added a temporary external asset to the team and handled an A-level threat. We neutralized the threat, the missing-nin from Kirigakure, Zabuza Momochi who was in the employ of Gato, from Gato Company.”

“The shipping magnate?” the Hokage interrupted briefly, hands still poised in front of his face. He showed no other outward reaction to Kakashi’s statement, besides a longer speculative look towards Juno.

Kakashi nodded, “The very same. The company was actually largely a front for his drug and smuggling operation, and he was using his monopoly of the shipping industry to enforce his stronghold on the Land of Waves, rendering him more of a dictator than a businessman.”

At that, the Hokage leaned back on his chair. He was silent for a moment, digesting Kakashi’s words. He then nodded his head towards Juno, “And this, I suppose, was your ‘external asset’?”

“Yes. May I introduce Juno Soyokaze. She was instrumental in bringing down Gato, his thugs, and Momochi, securing the safety of the citizens of the Land of Waves.”

Juno folded her fists in front of her chest and bowed low at the waist, a greeting usually reserved for leaders of state.

The Hokage bent his head cordially in return. “As the leader of the Konohagakure shinobi forces, may I extend my heartfelt thanks for assisting team seven with their mission.” Formalities observed, he turned to face Kakashi once more. “I assume Miss Soyokaze’s presence here means there is more to your story than you have said. You’d better give me a run down of the whole mission, and spare no detail.”

Kakashi nodded and took a deep breath. “Well, it all started when we were attacked by two enemy chunin while escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves…”

* * *

In a little less than an hour, the whole tale had been recounted.

Kakashi did most of the talking, with only a few brief interruptions from the Hokage. Juno was familiar with practically all the details of the mission she hadn’t been privy to, with a few exceptions. One being Kakashi’s version of events from when she came clean about her true identity.

“I’ll admit, I was skeptical when I heard about her supposed origins,” he admitted “But I used the standard T&I tactics to assess her story for falsehoods. She was able to provide consistent, specific details about her homeworld and personal background over the course of the week, and didn’t display any of the usual facial or physical tells that indicated lying.” He shrugged. “Either she is the best liar I’ve ever met, she’s insane, or her story is true. I chose to believe the latter.”

He was avoiding her eyes as he said this. Juno didn’t blame him. She honestly wasn’t sure how she felt about hearing he had used some kind of sneaky ninja interrogation tactic on her without her knowing. She had thought that he had believed her story out of hand when it had been first discussed. Now she realized that it had been very naive of her to do so. Under the nonchalant mein, Kakashi was still a senior ninja warrior. Believing far fetched stories from random strangers probably wasn’t what he learned in ninja school. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little stung by the realization that their early interactions had been fueled by a clinical desire to see if she was telling the truth.

He continued, “Her unusual abilities, demeanor, and lack of knowledge of common information about our world all support her story. She also proved to be a trustworthy and dependable team member when we were dealing with Gato and his thugs.”

He quickly finished the rest of the debriefing. Juno couldn’t help but notice that his portrayal of her actions during the mission made her appear very heroic. His obvious desire to paint her in a good light went a long way to sooth her sour feelings towards him.

Just before finishing, Kakashi made one glaring lie.

“The rogue ninja, Zabuza Momochi, his protege, Haku, and Gato were all terminated during the battle. We disposed of their bodies in the usual way before wrapping things up with Tazuna.”

Juno very carefully did not react to his words. They had discussed beforehand that Kakashi would be keeping Haku’s survival between team seven. For obvious reasons, his existence in the land of waves coming to light would seriously hamper his ability to remain with Tazuna’s family. The Village Hidden in the Leaves would feel compelled to take advantage of the powerful ‘asset’ and try to bring him into the fold. As a group, they had decided that Haku was better off staying away from the ninja life.

Thus concluded, Kakashi fell into silence. They waited patiently on the Hokage, who was contemplating their story while lighting a pipe. After a few perfunctory puffs, he straightened in his chair.

“Well, I’ll admit that’s certainly one of the more interesting mission briefings I’ve heard in awhile.” He said, face betraying no strong emotions that Juno could identify. Her guts were roiling with butterflies at the lack of reaction. Did he believe Kakashi? Did he notice the lie about Haku? Could she stay in the village?

He turned his gaze towards her. Though she carefully schooled her expression into neutrality, Juno could feel sweat gathering in her palms. She was glad that Kakashi had been the one to lie to this man’s face. Though he was elderly and rather diminutive in stature, he exuded a powerful aura that she found no difficulty in admitting intimidated her.

He finally broke the silence. But it was not what she had been expecting.

“Miss Soyokaze. I can only express my greatest sympathies to you in response to the struggles you have faced. Although I cannot speak for those you have left behind, I would like to offer you my most profound gratitude not only for helping Team Seven, but also for your sacrifice and efforts displayed in the line of duty for your people. Because they are not here to do so themselves like I’m sure they would want, please accept my deepest thanks.”

Then he stood. And bowed to her.

Juno was stunned. She swallowed thickly around the sudden lump in her throat. She instantly understood how this man had come to secure the loyalty of the village. With a few short sentences, he had cut into the quick of her. It helped her make her decision.

When the Hokage rose from his bow, she offered one in return.

“Thank you, most esteemed Hokage.” She cleared her throat, then raised her eyes to meet his. “Your gratitude means more than I can say. It has been very difficult…”, she took a breath, “...very difficult to deal with. I hope...it is my hope that I find a new place to call home. Kakashi suggested that this village may be such a place.”

“Did he now.”

Kakashi spoke up on her left. “I thought Juno’s actions more than warranted her a place in our village. She’s strong, capable...and a good person.”

They waited. The Hokage seemed to be mulling it over. Finally, just as Juno felt she would burst with anticipation, he spoke up.

“Very well. You may stay in the village. Tomorrow, we will meet at training ground four so that your skills in combat may be assessed. If your skills are to my satisfaction, I will grant you a probationary status as a shinobi of the leaf. If not, you may remain as a civilian.” He stood and walked to the window behind his desk, looking out. “You may leave. Best of luck, Juno Soyokaze.”

They both bowed, though he was facing away from them. He waved a hand, shooing them off. They left the room in silence.

Juno’s heart was so full. Outside the office, she turned to face Kakashi, a huge grin on her face. “It worked! I’m so relieved...looks like you’ll be seeing a lot more of me!” She snagged Asa by the arms and spun him around. She missed the soft look on Kakashi’s face as he watched them.


	9. The Test

Juno’s pack landed on the surface of the bed with a  _ fwump _ as she slowly turned her head to look around her new dwellings. It didn’t take long to get a complete picture. Her new ‘apartment’ was essentially a single room with the kitchen, seating area, and bedroom all separated with strategic placements of wall screens and counter spaces. She had been told by her new landlady that it was called a ‘bachelor’ style.

The one other room was a bathroom tucked behind a sliding screen door. All told, the space could be crossed in ten large steps.

Juno was pleased with it. What it lacked in space it made up in charm. It hailed back to the more traditional architectural style she was used to, had tall ceilings, and large, easterly facing windows. She would rise to the sun pouring into the small space, filling it with natural light.

The furniture was simple, but of high quality. The seating area had several plush floor cushions atop a beautifully ornate rug. A carved wooden wall separator cleverly hid the bed, a soft double mattress resting on a simple wooden frame. The walls had several faded squares where old artwork and photographs had hung, and there was a large, luscious indoor palm plant dominating the far corner.

Futaba, her new landlady, was bustling around the kitchen. She deftly pulled a tea set from one of the cupboards and set a kettle to boil after a few clicks set the small gas range alight.

She was a frail and diminutive looking woman, with steely grey hair piled on top of her head in an elaborate braided updo. She had kind eyes and calloused fingers and Juno had liked her immediately after they had met.

“There’s not much foodstuff in the pantry, so you’ll need to make a trip to the market around the corner before long. When you go to pay, you tell them old Futaba sent you there and to give you the neighbourhood rate. When you get home, I’ll check the receipt to make sure they didn’t short change you none. If they did, I’ll give them a good reminder that Futaba used to be a top kunoichi back in the day.” She winked at her conspiringly as she stirred the loose tea leaves in the pot. Juno smiled as she sat on the stool opposite her at the kitchen island. She rested her chin on her hand and watched as Asa explored their new space.

Futaba chattered at her while she finished preparing the tea. In a matter of moments, Juno had gotten the rundown of the latest gossip and neighbourhood drama, not to mention a not insignificant amount of information about Konoha and the Land of Fire in general. Juno smiled serenely as she listened. The older woman reminded her greatly of her first mentor, Monk Kestra. The woman could keep up a stream of chatter so complete and without pause that Juno had thought that only supremely advanced airbending techniques had kept enough breath in her lungs to keep her from passing out. Futaba had the same busybody, and slightly bossy, nature. 

She felt for sure that the look on Kakashi’s face when a woman less than half his height had effectively shooed him away once he introduced Juno as her new tenant would keep Juno laughing on the inside for days. When he had tried to insist that he had to just come by later to bring her to Sakura’s house, Futaba had shushed him and waved a hand at him dismissively. 

“Young man, if you think I can’t give directions to a house not five blocks away from here, then the academy has severely lowered its standards since my day. Now run along, I’m sure you have some kunai to sharpen or somethin.” The slightly stupefied look on his face as he walked off had been priceless. Juno hadn’t been able to contain a guffaw, to which Futaba responded with a wide, sinister grin at odds with her otherwise cute old lady look.

“It’s always best to keep men like him on their toes, Juno-chan, especially those young prodigy types. A firm hand is what they need.” She nodded decisively. “Now let me take a closer look at that cute monkey.”

Now, sitting over two steaming mugs of jasmine tea, the two of them were already thick as thieves. Futaba was regaling her with tales of her past as a shinobi warrior and Juno responded with her own anecdotes, although careful not to reveal the details surrounding her otherworldly origins. Although Juno liked Futaba immensely, she wasn’t quite ready to broach that topic yet. Luckily, Futaba seemed happy to hog most of the conversation.

Finishing up their tea, Juno asked offhandedly, “What happened to your last tennant? Why did they leave all this lovely furniture behind? I’m sure they must be missing this tea set at least.” She traced her fingertips delicately across the engraved detailing along the lip of her stemless mug.

Futaba’s gaze shuttered for a brief moment, and she turned away to busy herself with washing the dishes in the sink. “Poor thing went and got herself killed. She was a political refugee from the Land of Lightning, caught up in some business with a ninja clan there. Was on a trip outta town and didn’t pay enough for a decent bodyguard.” She shook her head slowly side to side “I told that girl that she needed at least B-level protection, but she didn’t listen. A little too attached to her pennies.”

Juno was silent, giving Futaba space for her obvious pain. For a moment, there was no sound except the clink of the dishes as Futaba deftly washed them in the sink. Setting them on the rack to dry, the older woman turned to face her.

“She was a good girl, and I’m glad that her things will have a new life with you looking after them. She’d have liked that you enjoy a good cup of tea.” She waved a hand at Juno, “Now, you’d best be heading off, it's nearly dinner time and your friend will be wondering where you are. It’ll be too late for you to go grocery shopping after your meal, so I’ll bring you up some breakfast tomorrow morning. Once you pass your skills test tomorrow, come by downstairs and we’ll celebrate with a few nice warm cups of sake.” She grinned as Juno stood and offered her a shallow bow. “None of that dear, and from now on, you can just go ahead and call me Granny Futaba, everyone else does.”

Before heading out the door, Juno made sure to pocket the pair of keys Futaba had given her. It felt slightly strange but good to have her ‘own place’. As the Avatar, she had been a guest at countless stately houses, palaces, and simple homesteads, but hadn’t had anything resembling a permanent residence since leaving the Air Temple. Somehow, after meeting Futaba and sensing the homey atmosphere of the space, the idea seemed less foreign than she might imagine. She could even see herself coming to think of it as ‘home’.

It didn't take long to reach the address Futaba had indicated was the Haruno residence. Juno knocked on the door, and waited, hearing the tell tale patter of someone inside coming quickly down the stairs. The door opened to a smiling Sakura, who, despite having only seen Juno a few hours before, greeted her with a warm hug.

“You made it! I thought for sure Kakashi-sensei would forget to tell you where to come after meeting with the Hokage or that he would just slack off.” Her gaze swept the street. “Where is he anyways? Did he run off that quickly after showing you here?”

“Ah, actually it ends up my new apartment is not too far from here, so my landlady just told me where to go.”

“Really?! That’s so great, that means you can come over all the time! Who is your landlady?”

“Granny Futaba.”

Sakura’s eyes bugged. “Granny Futaba!? That crazy old…” she trailed off seeing Juno’s expression, “...er, nice lady down the street? That's great…” The recovery was less than convincing, and Juno had to smother a laugh as Sakura showed her in the house. 

Juno tucked her shoes in an indicated cubby and Sakura gave her a quick tour of her home. It was small but well appointed, with a delicate, feminine touch to the decor. Asa quickly vacated Juno’s shoulder as soon as he spotted a chubby tabby cat snoozing on a wingback chair. Juno sent him a stern look as a reminder to be nice as Sakura led her around by the hand.

Passing by the kitchen, they were greeted by a wall of steam and a dusky-pink head emerging from behind the counter. It was an older, willowy version of Sakura, with a pair of dainty spectacles perched on her nose. The woman waved her hand in front of her face to clear her fogged up glasses, and smiled cheerily at them. 

“Hi there! You must be Juno-san. I’m Sakura’s mom, Emiri. Sorry to say that dinner will be running a little bit late tonight, Sakura didn’t exactly give us much notice that we would be having a guest.” She bustled around the kitchen with an unconscious grace that reminded Juno of some waterbending masters she had known. She stirred a bubbling pot with all the fluidity of an imperial court dancer.

Juno bowed shallowly, palms folded in front of her. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home. I’m sorry if my presence is an inconvenience…”

“Oh, not at all, I just hope you aren't too hungry,” she tapped one plump lip distractedly, “although, I do have a few aperitifs I could whip up if that interests you…”

Juno waved her hands in front of her, “Oh please, do not trouble yourself on my account. I had some excellent dumplings recently, so I am not too starved.” 

“Mom, I was thinking I would take Juno shopping before dinner anyway, so it works out.” Sakura interjected. She turned to face Juno fully. “I was thinking you probably need some things for your new place, like toiletries and stuff.”

“Ah sure” Juno replied, imagination already running wild with what Sakura could be referring to. Her mind flashed to the noble women she had seen at the Earth Kingdom imperial court. At times, Juno thought they wore enough cosmetics that you would need to remove it with a shovel. But, she took a breath. Sakura didn’t go around looking like she spent 3 hours every morning on her looks, so maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.

Well, she was wrong.

“I need to shave the hair off my  _ legs _ ?” Juno blinked in disbelief at the package of slim, multi-coloured razors in her hand. She had just spent the last ten minutes trailing after Sakura like a lost turtle-duck through the brightly lit aisles of the corner store pharmacy. The sheer multitute and variety of products and implements was dizzying. If she had been alone, Juno would have been frozen with indecision. As it was, she was desperately trying to put to memory everything Sakura was saying over her shoulder as she led Juno around. 

Why in the world were there so many kinds of teeth-cleaning pastes? And don’t get her started on the hair products. After several considering looks from Sakura, she had settled on a few ‘deep-conditioning’ and ‘frizz-relief’ options, as well as some sweetly-smelling oil for her ‘ends’ which Sakura had also declared ‘in dire need of a trim’. 

Juno was trying her best to reign her young friend in. This was hard because, on the one hand, Juno did need to know what rituals and hygiene practices would help her fit in in her new world. It was something she was used to conforming to in the past, adjusting her clothing style, mannerisms, and cosmetic rituals to fit in wherever her Avatar duties had taken her. On the other hand, she couldn’t help but feel like Sakura was enjoying her role as ‘beauty consultant’ a little too much.

But ultimately, she didn’t really have a frame of reference for what was considered ‘normal’ and what was considered ‘excessive’. So, she somewhat glumly tossed the package of razors in her basket alongside the other products Sakura had recommended. At the very least, she figured she could just run all this by Granny Futaba later to double check that it was really the usual practice.

She was able to put her foot down a little more confidently at the cosmetics aisle. There was absolutely no way it was necessary to darken her eyebrows or use ‘a light concealer’ to cover up her skin imperfections. Juno happened to like her freckles thank you very much. 

“Are you sure Juno-chan? The magazine I was reading recently said that freckles are so two seasons ago. I think we could cover them up if we got something a little more heavy-duty.”   
  


“No way Sakura. Konoha will just have to deal with my freckles, and that’s final.”

Sakura took one look at the expression on Juno’s face and stopped pressing the issue. Although Juno had been raised as a monk, sometimes she liked to think she could be as stubborn as an earthbender.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Sakura declared that they were done. Although she was taught to remain detached from worldly possessions, Juno felt a small pang of anxiety at the amount of money she had to shell over for their purchases. Being an independent adult was  _ expensive _ . If she wasn’t able to join the shinobi ranks, she would have to find an alternative source of income soon.

Returning to the Haruno household, they were met with a wall of rich aromas and the adorable sight of Asa and Sakura’s cat snoozing in an evening sunspot. Supper was served soon after, and Juno was introduced to Sakura’s father, Hajime, who had arrived home from work while they had been out. He was a somewhat portly gentleman with a kind face and exhibiting the symptoms of early balding. He was mostly quiet throughout dinner, allowing the women’s chatter to wash over him as he subtly tried to feed Asa and the cat under the table.

Juno didn’t mind, as long as he left the sabertooth moose-lion’s share of the fried mushrooms for her.

Juno found the Harunos to be very pleasant company. She could see where Sakura got her tenacity, and kind heart from. She was a little lost as to who she had inherited her temper from, until Hajime tried to sneak in dessert before finishing his serving of vegetables. A single, cutting look from Emiri had him sheepishly rubbing the back of his head before obediently finishing his meal. Juno didn’t blame him. Having seen Sakura’s temper in action on many occasions, usually directed towards one of her three male teammates, she would shudder to think what a mature version of her was capable of unleashing. To be safe, Juno made sure to finish her own serving of vegetables with lavish compliments to the chef.

As a matter of fact, Juno made sure to eat a full Juno-sized portion of food, with side remarks explaining that she would need the energy for her test tomorrow. With a subtle nudge to Sakura’s side, she watched as her young friend also helped herself to another portion of the pork shoulder, all the while keeping a close eye on her mother’s reaction. Emiri took in the action, then, with a quick examination of Juno’s exaggerated flexing muscles, remained silent. Juno hoped there would be less pressure on that front to maintain Sakura’s bird-like diet. To be extra sure, she shared stories of training with the young girls in her cohort, and the high-caloric diets they had all been put on to accommodate their training, as well as the needs of their growing bodies. 

After wrapping up the meal with a delectable serving of green tea ice-cream, (something Juno was happy to declare the best thing she had tried in Konoha to date), Juno found herself saying farewell to the Harunos as she scooped up a sleepy and stuffed Asa into her arms. Bowing at the door, she graciously thanks her hosts for the meal.

“It was our pleasure Juno-san. You are welcome to join us for dinner whenever you feel like it.”

Sakura turned to her parents, “Mom, I’m going to walk Juno back to her apartment, okay? I’ll come straight back.” Emiri nodded her assent, and the two young women set off into the night together.

They were silent at first, merely enjoying each other’s company and the ambiance of the evening. Strolling sedately down the street, accompanied by the chirping of crickets and the glow of streetlights, Juno felt content.

“Juno-chan...are you nervous for tomorrow?” Sakura inquired softly from her side. Juno glanced down at her, taking in a hint of unease on her face. She shot her a comforting smile.

“Ah, Sakura, I’ve had plenty of tests in my life. You should have seen me before my earthbending exam, I was as jumpy as a sack of hare-flies. But after a while, you become better at handling these sorts of things. I have faith in my abilities. I think it will be just fine.”

Sakura smiled. “That's good! I want you to be a kunoichi like me, and then maybe we can train and go on missions together!” She put her hands to her cheeks and smiled, in a faraway daydream. “It would be nice to have a girl around. It sure gets tiresome dealing with the boys all the time.”

“I’d still hang out with you even if I wasn’t a kunoichi, Sakura. We are friends now, after all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, sure.”

If Sakura’s smile was any sunnier, Juno wouldn’t have been surprised to see the night succumb to it. She chuckled and patted the young girl on her head.

They soon turned the corner leading to Juno’s apartment. They said a quick good night and Juno watched as Sakura disappeared back around the corner. Ascending the staircase leading up to her second-story apartment door, Juno peeked into a lit window to see Futaba snoozing on a wingback chair, book laid open on a side table. She knocked gently on the pane of glass and smiled as the older woman started awake. She waved at her through the window, and Futaba nodded back, stretching and getting up to turn the light off. 

Juno chuckled to herself as she ascended the rest of the stairway, amused at the thought of someone staying up for her return at her age.

Unlocking the front door, Juno tossed her keys into a small ceramic dish shaped like a duck, and dropped her shopping bags gracelessly onto the floor. She kicked off her shoes and slumped over to the bed, stripping out of the outer layers of her clothing as she went. 

Flopping onto the bed face first, she wiggled under the covers, making room for Asa as he crawled in after her. It had been a big day. 

As she fell asleep, she spared a thought towards the impending test that she faced the next day, wondering what it would entail. Despite her brave words to Sakura on the walk home, she was a little leery at the prospect. Suppose she had to go through some kind of deadly ninja challenge course? Or maybe fight off some kind of monstrous killer beast? Falling into a deep sleep, her dreams were of fighting off a faceless enemy.

Completely naked, of course.

  
  


She awoke the next morning to persistent knocking.

Fighting her usual morning grogginess, Juno stumbled out of bed, dragging the comforter along with her. Answering the door within the warm confines of her blanket, she could only blink as Granny Futaba bustled in with all the energy of a tornado.

“Good morning Juno-chan! Good to see you slept alright anyway. I’ve got a good power-house breakfast prepared for you this morning. And you’re going to eat it all, no complaints!” The elderly woman made herself at home in the kitchen, like she had the day before, lifting several covered dishes from within a basket slung over her arm. 

Juno followed placidly behind, wondering to herself if Futaba invading her space was going to be a regular occurrence. As the older woman deftly set the tea kettle on to boil, while Juno slumped onto a stool, learning heavily onto the kitchen island, she decided that she didn’t mind. The sumptuous aromas drifting from the various dishes went a long way to informing her decision.

Even the lazy Asa, who had been dragged along with the comforter, clutching at Juno’s warm body, stuck his twitching nose out of the safety of the blankets at the smells beginning to permeate the small apartment. Juno listened with one ear to the steady stream of chatter from Futaba and obediently ate every dish placed in front of her, taking intermittent sips at the strong black tea that followed. Soon enough, her mind followed her body into wakefulness.

“ – and be sure to keep your eyes to the ground. A trip-wire is what took out my teammate in the chunin exams, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear they do something similar for your test – no eat  _ all _ your wakame Juno-chan, it's good for you – and also, make sure you stretch your glutes enough, can’t have a pulled ass-muscle be what keeps you from victory, that’s what I always say…”

Juno blinked, partway between feeding Asa another of his favourites – pickled radishes – and finally clued into what Futaba was telling her.

Right, the test.

Suddenly, Juno was wide awake. She shovelled the rest of her breakfast into her mouth, trying to commit to memory all the tidbits of advice that Futaba was offering. She finally finished her meal to Futaba’s satisfaction and dashed around the apartment, throwing on her clothes. Hopping around, trying to stuff her other leg into her pants and brushing her teeth at the same time, Juno gasped out “Granny Futaba, where is training ground four? That’s where I have to go for my test.”

“Ah, don’t you worry none, I’ll take you straight there. My cribbage club got pushed back this week, so I’ve got nothing better to do. Plus, I’d like to see you in action, see if those muscles can do anything else besides look good.”

Juno blinked again, not sure how to react to a geriatric flirting with her, but shook it off and finished getting ready. Soon, they were out the door and heading to the outskirts of the village. 

It ended up that ‘training ground four’ was just a clearing in the woods, bordering the river leading out of town. Futaba led her through the entrance to the clearing between two large trees. Juno was unsurprised to see a familiar trio loitering just inside. She was  _ somewhat _ surprised at their punctuality; she supposed that Sakura must have been up early this morning to wrangle them all. 

When they spotted her, they hurried over. Well, Sakura and Naruto hurried, Sasuke lingered a respectable distance behind.

“Hey Juno-chan! You’re going to kick butt today, I just know it!” Naruto struck a dramatic pose. “The Hokage’s dumb test doesn’t stand a chance, believe it!” She had to smile at his exuberance.

“It should be interesting anyway,” Sasuke piped up, somehow sounding about as interested in the proceedings as watching paint dry. “I didn’t really get a chance to see your skills last time, we were all too busy.”

“Ah, Sasuke-kun, I’m so flattered by your attention.”

He flushed pink and turned away. She smiled at the other two. “It’ll be nice to have you cheering me on.”

Before she could say much more, Futaba stepped in, “Alright you all, let’s skip the pleasantries. In my experience, it's not a good idea to keep the Hokage waiting.”

“Eh? Who’s this old lady?”

“Naruto! It's not nice to talk to your elders like that!”

Juno smiled, remembering the less than flattering opinion Sakura had expressed the night before, but decided to keep that information to herself. Futaba led the young trio off to the side of the clearing, and Juno continued alone, approaching the small group just inside. 

Unsurprisingly, the Hokage was there, along with a few other people she didn’t recognize, but guessed were higher-ranking shinobi, by their dress. Someone she hadn’t expected to see was the lazy copy-cat-nin himself, Kakashi Hatake.

He eye-smiled at her and gave a two-fingered wave as she approached. She quirked an eyebrow at him in silent inquiry, but he just shrugged in response. The fact that he was there was interesting. The fact that he was there  _ on time _ even more so. She guessed that his punctuality issue had a limit, and having the Hokage tell you to be somewhere on time was it.

She stopped and bowed in front of the group. The Hokage, already smoking despite the early hour, nodded back.

“Ah, Juno. Good of you to come.” He gestured with his pipe to the people standing behind him. “These are a few of my esteemed colleges, high ranking members of the shinobi, and instructors from the ninja academy. I’ve asked them here to help me assess your skills.” He paused, and smiled slightly. “Ordinarily I would leave the assessment of foreign ninja to them exclusively, but I must admit, I’m curious to see what your abilities entail personally. They have all been briefed on your circumstances, so don’t feel the need to conceal anything that would betray your origins.”

She nodded, unsurprised. “How would you like to go about the assessment? Should I just show you some of the advanced bending forms I know?”

“Bending? Is that what you call it?” He stroked his short beard. “No, I was thinking a little something more...challenging than that.” He waved Kakashi forward. “Let's test your mettle with a good old-fashioned spar.”

Juno felt her heart skip a beat. She eyed up the silver-haired jounin in front of her, mind running through scenarios, struggling to recall everything she knew about how he fought. She could see his single eye appraising her as well. She nodded, not taking her eyes off the man in front of her.

The Hokage continued. “Nothing too serious mind you. Lets just see what you can do.” He nodded to Kakashi, “The usual initiate level test, eh Kakashi?”

Kakashi nodded, keeping his eyes on Juno. “Sure thing Hokage-sama”. 

His voice was light, amused. Her heart lifted. She found herself smiling back, and raised her arms into a simple stretch. This would be interesting.

“Is that all? Well, at least we’ll be done in time for an early lunch. That’s good because I want to go back to that dumpling place.” She blinked, and paused, struck by an idea. “Loser pays?”

“Sure, I like free food as much as the next guy.” He said, following her out into the center of the clearing.

“Hm, just don’t forget that I like the pork ones best.”

As they got closer and it became apparent what was about to happen, Naruto and the others started whooping in excitement from the sidelines.

“Yeah, Juno-chan! Kick his ass!”

“Take him down, Juno-chan!”

Kakashi slumped beside her. “Maa, why aren't they cheering for me?”

“They’re smart kids.”

“Humph.”

Finally, they faced off. 

In the moments before the battle began, Juno finalized her strategy. She recalled from watching him battle with Zabuza that Kakashi had a wide range of elemental attacks that made him very effective at mid-range combat. Luckily, this was also Juno’s area of strength. At mid-range, she could employ the full force of her bending abilities, and rely on her natural affinity for sensing projectiles and dodging or diverting them before they came near enough to strike. The terrain was also likely to work in her favour. There was plenty of water and earth to bend.

She knew Kakashi was very proficient at close-combat, probably more so than she was. If he got too close, she would have to rely on the circle-walking airbending style to dodge and evade his attacks, and try to force him away back into the mid-range as much as she could. 

She doubted he would be approaching this battle at his full strength. He knew this was supposed to be a way for her to demonstrate her abilities to the Hokage rather than determine a winner or loser. She had a feeling he might even try and goad her into showing off some of her better moves. She had to hope that he wouldn’t try some sneaky ninja move that she was unfamiliar with early on to force the battle.

A stray breeze tugged at the branches of the surrounding trees. The rustling sounded loud in the otherwise quiet clearing. Kakashi adopted a casual stance and Juno took the moment to center and empty her thoughts of all her anxiety, aided by a few deep breaths.

They made eye contact. Juno felt a slight stirring in the pit of her gut with a strange intensity at the connection. Time seemed to stretch as they waited for the match to start.

Finally, the grizzled voice of the Hokage spoke up with a simple, “Begin!”

Juno rushed in with several airbending scythes, trying to force Kakashi on the defensive. She knew that he needed time to make hand-signals to execute his elemental attacks, and didn’t intend on giving him that time.

Unfortunately, Kakashi seemed to anticipate her strategy. He dodged her wind-scythes with ease, flipping hand-over-hand in acrobatics that would have made a circus performer green with envy. He didn’t seem all that interested in meeting her offensively, just kept dodging and avoiding her attacks as he led her in circles around the clearing.

She continued her onslaught, barraging him with attacks from every school of bending. She flung fireballs, pulled streams of water whips from the river, and settled into deep, earth-bending kicks to send a volley of rocks towards her quarry.

Kakashi dodged them all, always just out of reach, not so much as sending a single kunai knife her way. She smiled to herself, realizing what he was doing. As she suspected, he was giving her the opportunity to show off.

And so she did. Juno pulled out every move in her arsenal, stretching her imagination for creative ways to keep Kakashi on the run. It was almost fun; trusting that he had the speed and agility to dodge anything she threw at him, Juno could let loose in ways she normally wouldn’t in a simple spar. 

It almost felt like a dance. Despite never having fought before, Kakashi seemed able to anticipate her every move, evading her attacks with a grace that belied his tall stature. And wherever he landed, Juno was there, manipulating the elements of their arena with all the power and skill of a fully realized Avatar. At one point, Juno let out a joyful whoop, caught up in the sheer fun, physicality of it all.

She saw Kakashi cock his head at her, crinkling his eyes in a similarly playful way. It was then that Juno realised that he had his sharingan eye open, the mismatched gaze following her every move as they dashed across the clearing. It helped explain why he was able to anticipate her moves so unerringly.

At that moment she felt something shift in the battle. Suddenly, Kakashi was right in front of her, leveling a high kick to her head. Juno bent backwards in a graceful overhead flip, then immediately fell to the ground in a dramatic sweep to his legs. He lept over them with ease, then followed up with powerful jabs to her torso. Juno quickly backpedaled, dodging his fists with the evasive circular motions that marked her as an airbending master.

As she suspected, Kakashi outclassed her when it came to hand-on-hand combat. It was everything she could do to avoid getting struck by his lightning-fast fists, taking a few bone-jarring strong hits to her abs despite her best efforts. 

Her air left her chest in a whoosh, and she staggered back. She saw Kakashi lean in to take advantage of her slip, but at the last second, Juno swiped her left hand forward, shifting the earth beneath his weight-bearing heel. She was rewarded by seeing him stagger backwards, off balance. It gave her the chance to jump back and put some space between them.

They took advantage of the natural lull in the battle, both eyeing each other from across the arena while catching their breath. Juno could feel the first hints of sweat on her temples and her lower back. But her eyes were bright, invigorated by the exercise. She almost found herself forgetting their audience, despite the calculating gaze of the Hokage and the cheers of the young ninja.

“Getting tired yet?” She heard Kakashi call out, over the sounds of the rambunctious spectators. She grinned and stretched in response, pulling her arms over her head in a luxurious stretch. She saw his eyes quickly glance down to follow the motion, and felt a little smug.

“I’m just getting warmed up, old man.”

His eyes snapped back up and he staggered, seemingly more off-set then when she had earthbended his feet. “Old?” He questioned despairingly. “Maa, Juno-chan, don’t be so mean.”

“Don’t be so sensitive.”

“You don’t be so sensitive.”

Juno laughed. “Okay, I take it back, you are just as immature as Naruto.”

She was rewarded with an indignant “Hey!” from the sidelines which she waved away. Looking across the clearing to her opponent, Kakashi shifted, and seemed to be regarding her seriously now, with none of the playfulness from earlier. She felt her own smile fade away, and looked at him coolly in response.

“Alright, I won’t go easy on you then.” He warned. Juno paused momentarily at something in his voice, a question that he wasn’t verbalizing. Despite the parameters of the test demanding for her to show what she could do, he was giving her a way out. She felt a moment of unease, that he should feel compelled to offer such a thing. But she steeled herself. If she was going to be a shinobi, a warrior dedicated to the safety and service of Konoha, the Hokage needed to know what she could do, even if it tested her limits. She nodded at him, and braced herself for what came next.

It didn't take long. In a flash, Kakashi flew through some complex hand signals and created a half-dozen clones, all surrounding her in a semi-circle. In a breath, they were on her, three diving in for close-combat, with three diving away, throwing knives with deadly accuracy. Where earlier there had been an easy give-and-take, now there was a desperate edge to their fighting. Juno dodged and parried, stuck and retreated, fighting at the edge of her abilities to keep her enemies at bay. 

In the face of the relentless barrage, she pulled at the air, sweeping and whirling in a complex and dynamic dance. Airbending at its strongest was an evasive and defensive form, useful for controlling and redirecting the attacks from multiple sources. 

And Juno was a master airbender.

She was a whirling dervish, the calm center of a fierce cyclone, Kakashi could no more strike her than he could strike a cloud. Where he was a ferocious onslaught of offensive assaults, she was the ephemeral, cool clarity of the mountain air where she had been raised. Soyokaze, he had called her. She would show him the power of a gentle breeze.

She could feel the air of the battle shift. Slowly, yet surely, her defensive stance was getting under Kakashi’s skin. She could feel his frustration at not being able to land a hit, and, at the precise moment of his unbalancing, she stuck with deadly precision. One by one, his clones fell until there were only three remaining. Juno could feel victory within her grasp, and pushed forward to pursue her advantage.

At that moment, Juno felt something strange. A quiet flicker in her perception, perhaps a slight ripple of premonition of what was about to happen. She ignored the feeling, and drove forward, redirecting a volley of kunai knives sent towards her before diving into strike a clone with a concentrated fireblast, making it disappear with a  _ pop _ . 

As it disappeared, Juno gained a renewed view of the battlefield. The remaining two Kakashi’s were towards her left, appearing as though they were teaming up for a last-ditch attack. As she turned to face them, something caught the corner of her field of vision.

She turned her head, and it was as if time had slowed to a crawl.

From where she stood, she saw the kunai knives she had redirected fly towards the side of the field. Naruto and the others cowered and dove out of the way of the incoming blades, fleeing to the safety of the trees.

All but one.

Asa’s small body, startled from a comfortable perch on Naruto’s shoulder, had been a second too slow to dodge. She saw, with mounting horror, as one small blade embedded itself into the meat of his stomach. He fell, his jump to safety aborted, and did not get up again.

Juno stared. It was as though she was seeing the scene through a veil over her eyes, vision tunneling until all she saw was his small, precious body lying motionless on the ground. She felt cold, heartbeat pounding in her ears, a strange, deadly calm descending over her. 

Moments passed. Time seemed to stand still; she was trapped, seeing the moment of his fall over and over. In the back of her mind, Juno felt that something was deadly wrong, but couldn’t seem to move, couldn’t seem to even breathe.

After what seemed like forever, Juno felt something she did not expect. A hand, grasping firmly to hers, and her body being pulled into a rough embrace. Strong arms closed over her, and Juno's face was pressed into the shoulder of a warm body. It was only then that she felt able to take a gasping breath.

As she did so, she realized she was in the Avatar State.

Emerging from her stupor, Juno instantly felt the awesome power of her previous lives roaring through her. She was in the center of a raging inferno, a cacophony of wind and fire and rain, storming beyond her comprehension around her. She realized that it was Kakashi who was holding her firmly in his embrace, arms gentle despite the violence of the elements around them. 

With a gasping sob, Juno reached out, coming back to herself, pulling the chaos in, reigning in the terror. She felt the power recede, just as she collapsed limply in Kakashi’s embrace, body shaking with grief. Her precious friend; her beloved Asa. Last remnant of a world lost to her, gone by her own careless hand.

Through it all, she felt a hand gently caressing her hair. After a time, she heard Kakashi’s voice coming through. “Sorry, I'm so sorry.”

Sorry? What did he have to be sorry for? It was her fault. She lifted her head to tell him so, and saw that they were in the center of a quickly growing group. Naruto, the Hokage, and others converging to see what had happened.

And...and Asa was there. 

He quickly crawled up her body, wrapping his arm around her head, his body trembling in concern. Through her shock, she could hear him gently coo and stroke her hair. His usual method for calming her down.

In a moment, it was as though her body became unfrozen. She turned in Kakashi’s embrace, though never leaving his arms altogether, and grasped Asa to her chest, hand roving around his body for the knife wound she knew must be there.

Only...it wasn’t.

In a few moments, her mind refocused. With slowly blinking eyes, she lifted her body carefully from Kakashi’s arms. He released her immediately, retreating a small distance away. He watched her, eyes wary, and Juno, seeing his reaction, knew her suspicions must be true.

She turned stiffly away from him, dashing her eyes roughly with the back of one hand. She saw Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke gathered around and she smiled at them shakily.

“I’m sorry”, she croaked out, before clearing her throat. She turned and bowed, somewhat stilted, to the Hokage and his peers, echoing the sentiment, before turning and making a dash towards the trees, Asa still firmly ensconced in her arms.

Despite the cries behind her, she put on a bit of airbending speed, and quickly put significant distance between herself and the training ground. At last, she made a mighty leap and perched gracefully in the canopy of a large tree. With Asa’s warm body sitting comfortably in her lap, Juno’s mind turned back to the battle.

What a disaster. With a bit of clarity and distance, Juno realized what must have happened. Kakashi had used the same mind-bending technique that he had used on Zabuza. She remembered Sakura explaining briefly that ninja could employ illusion-type attacks, manipulating and exploiting their foe’s fears. Kakashi had put her to the test, as he had promised, and she had failed in the most spectacular fashion.

Juno groaned and buried her face in Asa’s thick pelt. The leopard-monkey was lying complacently in her arms as she vented, sensing, as always, what she needed at any given time. Despite knowing now that it had been all an illusion, Juno was grateful to keep him close to her. 

How could the Hokage think she was fit to be a shinobi now? At the first test, she had done what she hadn’t since she was a young girl; lost control and entered the Avatar State out of panic and instinct. She was lucky no one had been hurt in the ensuing chaos.

Head thumping back against the reassuring weight of the tree beneath her. Juno sighed. Just when she thought things were looking up, she had to go and put a foot in it. Now what would she do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, the test was just going to be a simple spar between Juno and Kakashi, but then an angst bug bit me right on the bum. Sorry, not sorry.


	10. A Shinobi of the Leaf

Juno slowly meandered along the wooded footpath, dappled sunlight illuminating the way. She heard the distant call of a songbird, and paused to listen to the musical tones, faint breeze tugging on the stands of her hair. As she walked, she stopped to smell every new flower, and run her fingers along the knotted whorls of an old tree.

Was she procrastinating? Yes. Yes, she was.

Slowly but surely, she was making her way back to the village. After spending the better part of an hour getting a grip after the disastrous results of her spar with Kakashi, Juno finally felt ready to go and face the music. That, and she was starting to get hungry again.

As she walked, the serene atmosphere of the forest went a long way to further calming her tumultuous emotions. By the time the tall walls of the village came into view, she felt prepared to face the Hokage and hear his judgement of her performance.

She stared up at the high walls and then craned her head in either direction to see if she could spot a gate. Not seeing one, she shrugged and, getting Asa to grip her tight, decided to take the easy path in. With a mighty leap, she bent the air beneath her to propel her into a speedy wall-climb. Perched atop the wall, Juno could see Konoha laid out before her.

She had come to the village from the east, and could see the Hokage’s tower some distance away. She could only hope that was where he had gone after she had fled the training ground. If he wasn’t there, she would just have to wait until he returned. 

Following a deep sigh, Juno leapt down onto a nearby roof. She decided to forgo trying to navigate the confusing streets from below, and started to leap from rooftop to rooftop towards her destination. With the number of ninja she had seen travelling in a similar way, she hoped that her appearance wouldn’t cause any heart attacks to spectators. 

Landing lightly in the clearing in front of the tower, Juno made her way indoors, politely asking the man at the front desk if she could speak with the Hokage. She waited patiently as he did something mysterious on the device upon his desk, and spoke quietly into a crescent-shaped object attached to it with a curly-cue rope. She wished briefly that Kakashi was there to help her navigate the strange environment, not at all used to the technology or rituals around her.

Luckily, the man confirmed that the Hokage was indeed in his office, and that he wanted to meet with her. Thus confirmed, she retraced the path she and Kakashi had taken just the day before, and quickly found herself outside the office doors, after only taking one wrong corner by mistake. Taking a bracing breath, she waited for the masked guard to indicate she could enter.

She didn’t have to wait long. She was quietly ushered inside by the ninja outside the door after a few short moments. The Hokage, who was fiddling with a large stack of papers, looked up at her entry.

“Ah, Juno, I’m glad you’ve returned so quickly. You worried no small number of people when you ran off like that.” Though his tone was deliberately neutral, Juno shrunk inside at the implication of his disappointment. Although she had only known the man for a short while, she could tell that his approval was something to be highly valued. She hoped she hadn’t muddled it all up completely.

She drew her back up straight and folded into a formal bow.

“I apologize profusely for my behaviour, Hokage-sama. I didn’t mean for anyone to worry.”

He simply hummed in response, and leaned back in his chair, regarding her with a considering gaze. She met his eyes and held them, refusing to look away in shame, though she desperately wanted to. She waited for him to speak again.

“That was some show you put on earlier. Kakashi explained that he had you under a genjutsu, but he couldn’t quite explain what happened after you were ensnared. I assume that is not a usual expression of your abilities?”

Juno shook her head. “No, what happened was something that has not occurred since I was very young. The Avatar State is the ultimate expression of the Avatar’s power. It unlocks the combined strength and knowledge of all my past lives. Usually to access it requires a deliberate focus...today I lost control and entered the state through instinct.” She swallowed. “If my old spiritual guru had seen me, she would have been very disappointed.”

The Hokage nodded, seeming to expect her response. “Is the achievement of this state a skill that is common among your people?”

“Ah, no. Only the Avatar can enter the Avatar State. And only the Avatar can bend all four elements. I’m something of a novelty I suppose...or at least I was until that fiasco at Hurosai’s Lair...now I guess there are many others just like me…” She chuckled weakly and forced herself to stop rambling. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

The Hokage nodded once more and they fell into silence. Juno fought the impulse to fidget.

“I have discussed your assessment with the others. Based on their recommendations, Kakashi’s testimony and my own judgement, I have decided to grant you the status of a probationary ninja of the leaf.”

Juno let out a sigh of relief. But he didn’t stop there, and she quickly snapped to attention.

“Your rank will be that of a Chunin. Although you certainly have the power and skill of a high-ranking shinobi, you still require education on our ways and methods of combat. Getting caught in a genjutsu like what happened today while in the field could have disastrous consequences for you and your comrades.”

Juno nodded. It was about what she had been expecting. But he had one more pleasant surprise in store for her.

“I have decided to stick you with Team Seven on a permanent basis. You seem to get along with them well enough, and heaven knows Kakashi could use some help wrangling those genin of his.” The Hokage chuckled, then continued. “You’ll essentially be his second in command, although you will need to follow his orders and whatever training regime he deems necessary for you. But Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura will defer to your experience and teaching as well.” He nodded. “I’m sure Kakashi will get in touch with you soon to coordinate your training and attendance for any missions the team will undertake. Until then, I hope you will enjoy settling into the village and getting to know your new home. I know you have a very experienced and formidable kunoichi as your landlady, so you should have plenty of help.” 

Juno bowed, “Thank you Hokage-sama”

He waved her off and turned his attention back to the stack of papers in front of him. Juno left the office, and, after walking down the hall away from the masked guard’s eyes, pumped her fist up in the air and danced a little happy dance. Asa squeaked and chirped, getting caught up in her excitement, and tugged and poked at her playfully. She stopped and tickled his belly.

Leaving the tower in a much better mood than when she had entered, Juno decided to head back to her apartment. She knew Futaba would want an update, and hopefully would cook more food for her while Juno regaled her with the news. 

Walking off with a jaunty bounce to her step, Juno couldn’t keep a smile off her face. Finally, after weeks of uncertainty and aimlessness, she had a purpose. She would become a shinobi of Konoha, and take her place in her new world.

* * *

With all of the deliberation and delicacy she could muster, Juno set at the task before her. Slowly lifting the instrument in her hand, she ignored the slow, tickling bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. Tipping her hand ever so slightly, she focused her not inconsiderable attention to an almost feverish degree. Under the watchful gaze of her teacher, she could not fail.

And, proudly, she did not spill a single drop of boiling water out of the cup-of-noodles.

She set the kettle back on the stove and double checked that she had turned it off properly. Under Naruto’s careful supervision, she dutifully swirled the noodles and dried vegetables several times with her chopsticks. Setting them down, she looked to him for approval. He nodded decisively.

“Now, it's best to wait a few minutes for the noodles and toppings to cook properly at this point. You might be tempted to eat it right away, but you need to be patient to get the best results.”

Juno, more than a little amused at the notion of Naruto lecturing someone on being patient, wisely kept this feedback to herself. She heard a light snicker from beside her and shot a quick glance at Sakura, warning her to keep quiet, but sharing a smile with the young girl.

Unfortunately, Sasuke couldn’t resist.

“Tsk, you wouldn’t know patience if it bit you right on the ass, idiot.” The dark-haired youth was amusing himself by sharpening a kunai while seated at her low table, but, despite feigning disinterest, couldn’t help but pipe in with sassy comments at every opportunity. It made any domestic lessons take twice as long as they otherwise would have. 

Almost on cue, Naruto turned with a shout, “Hey, I’m plenty patient! Who was it who had to wait for your lazy ass to get here all afternoon, huh?”

“That’s not being patient, that’s just you not having a life!”

“Boys!” Juno’s voice cut in sharply. She didn’t mind a little bickering, but she swore that those two did it like it was their life’s work. Constantly undercutting and pricking at each other. It was exhausting to listen to. Now that she was officially their superior, Juno was going to drill a little civility into them if it killed her.

They fell silent, Sasuke going back to sharpening his knife and Naruto turning to inspect the progress of her noodles. She felt a little annoyed at constantly needing to be the referee between them, but didn’t have the heart to kick them out of her apartment.

At first, Juno had been somewhat baffled at the constant company at her new residence. Since two days prior when she had told them that she was officially joining Team Seven, the three young ninja had unerringly converged at her apartment every day. It was only when Futaba told her over dinner and sake the other night that both Naruto and Sasuke were orphans that it started to make sense. 

With an internal sigh, Juno had resigned herself to her new situation. 

In a way, it felt more familiar to her than not. At the air temple, she had constantly been surrounded by other air monks. They had shared rooms, ate communal meals, and even bathed in public baths. Juno was most comfortable surrounded by people, and welcomed the company.

And it was obvious that these three were almost desperate. The two young boys were so hungry for it that they continued to show up at her apartment despite knowing that their despised rival would also be in attendance. And Sakura was so excited for young female companionship that she still stuck to Juno’s side like a little turtle-duckling. 

Often, Juno felt like simultaneously hugging Kakashi as well as giving the man a swift kick in the pants. It seemed unfair to pair such an obviously socially reclusive sensei with such needy students. She wondered what the Hokage had been thinking.

In any case, Juno was settling into her new role as maternal/friendly/mentor/student. She made sure to lavish praise on the young ninja when they cooperated or helped her learn something new about their modern world, as well as sternly corrected any mean-spirited bickering and excessive rivalry. She praised Sakura when she showed off her intelligence. She tried to coax Sasuke into conversing with them and constantly tried to chip away at his cold exterior. All she had to do for Naruto was listen to him and shower him with affection, the young boy soaked it up like a sponge. She could only hope that over time her influence would warm the team members up to each other as well as fill an empty hole in their lives. It was a task she was all-too-happy to take on.

Soon enough, and only after securing Naruto’s approval, Juno settled into her meal. She had undoubtedly been enjoying the modern amenities of her new world, although many of them still remained largely a mystery to her. She also had a feeling that her education under her young teachers was a little lop-sided. So far, she had learned how to make a few basic meals, mostly of the ‘processed’ variety. She could also reliably use the facilities in the wash-room, and how to use the various grooming products Sakura had instructed her to purchase the other day.

Unfortunately, she had received little instruction of the cleaning or laundry variety. Sakura still lived at home where a parent took care of such things, Sasuke’s estate included hired domestic help and Naruto...well, she shuddered to think of the state of his living arrangements based on his current lack of knowledge or interest. She resolved herself to gleaning that information from Futaba and ‘sharing’ her discoveries with the young ninja, in the hopes that he would take the lessons to heart.

Of the three of them, Naruto’s situation was the most infuriating to her. In offhand, rather innocent ways, he constantly demonstrated his overly isolated and desolate upbringing. How could such a technologically ‘advanced’ village have left such a young orphan to his own devices at such a young age? The air temple, despite not having ‘microwaves’ or ‘electric kettles’, at least ensured that every member was nurtured and supported. In Juno’s mind, there was no excuse for such neglect of their young people. 

She had also noticed the civilian reactions to Naruto’s presence whenever they ventured outdoors. Their scorn and outright hostility confused her immensely. Sure, he could be a little brash and obnoxious, but that was clearly because he was so used to looking for attention in a world where he received so little. What could it be that turned the populous against him? 

She resolved to speak with Kakashi about it. The man had been conspicuously absent from their recent team-building activities, apparently wanting to take advantage of their three day break from training and revel in his antisocial tendencies as much as possible. Juno was a little conflicted about that. On one hand, she felt somewhat resentful of his absence. If it was obvious to her that Team Seven was in desperate need of some socialization and bonding opportunities after only knowing them for a short while, then it must have been obvious to him too. Juno couldn’t help but perceive his rather dismal effort to rectify that issue as a failing on his part. As their teacher, it was his responsibility to turn the surly, lonely, and broken individuals into a cohesive, strong whole. 

On the other hand, she couldn’t help but be a little glad to have some time apart from him to process their recent, rather strange meeting.

* * *

_Night had fallen. Juno sat cross legged on her bed, pouring over a letter’s primer that Futaba had managed to procure for her. She was painstakingly tracing over the letters with a ballpoint pen, trying to commit to memory the different characters and punctuation marks. Luckily, it wasn’t too far off from the alphabet that she was familiar with. Instead of feeling like she was learning a new language from scratch, it felt more like she was deciphering a somewhat confusing code. With dedicated practice, Juno felt confident that she would master the new written form in a few short weeks._

_Just as she was looping off the corresponding character to the letter she knew as ‘r’, she heard a tap on the windowpane._

_Glancing up, she was surprised to see Kakashi perched on the narrow sill of the window closest to her. He shot her a two fingered wave._

_Rising gingerly from the bed so as not to wake a snoozing Asa, Juno approached the window. It took her a second to figure out how the latch worked, but soon enough she had it cracked open wide enough from him to slip inside._

_“Yo.” He rose to his full height after gracefully stepping inside. Standing this close to him, Juno was struck by just how much taller than her he was. The tip of her head barely cleared his shoulders. She had a flash of memory of when he held her in his arms in an attempt to curb the Avatar State. Her head had tucked neatly beneath his._

_Shaking off the strange trail of thought, Juno backed into the main room of the apartment._

_“Kakashi, what’s wrong with using the front door like a normal person? Were you raised in a barn?”_

_He simply shrugged his shoulders and didn’t respond. He was looking about her apartment with interest, taking in the small space. His eyes lingered on the small pile of dirty laundry that had accumulated next to her bed. Juno glanced over and noticed with slight horror that a pair of her underclothes was on a place of prominence right at the top of the pile. Juno felt the absurd urge to blush, but valiantly fought it off. She refused to be embarrassed by the fact that she didn’t know how to use the laundry machine yet._

_The silence was starting to get a little bit awkward._

_“Uh, why don’t you sit down? I can make us a pot of tea.” Juno gestured to the plush pillows in the seating area._

_Kakashi nodded and made his way over, squatting down onto the nearest one. To be honest, she was somewhat surprised that he had accepted the offer. She couldn’t fathom what brought him over at such a late hour. The Hokage had said that he would be meeting up with her to discuss the details of her involvement with Team Seven, but she hadn’t been expecting that meeting to be during a late-night house visit. She made her way into the kitchen, taking a moment to kick the offending dirty laundry underneath her bed._

_Juno turned the dial of the stove burner and, after checking to make sure the kettle had enough water inside, gently placed it on top. She busied herself with fetching the tea and preparing the teapot as she cast about for something to say._

_“I’m assuming the Hokage told you about the results of my test?”_

_Kakashi folded his hands on the surface of the table and regarded her._

_“Yes, he informed me of the verdict shortly after you ran off.” Juno winced, reminded of her embarrassing actions during their spar. She poured the boiling water into the pot and swirled the leaves inside. Placing two cups and the pot on a tray, she carried it over to the table and set it down, sitting cross-legged on the cushion opposite of Kakashi._

_“Ah, yes. I’m sorry, I owe you an apology for that. I lost control and it could have ended a lot worse than it did.”_

_“Well, I did provoke you.” It was probably as close to an apology as she would get, aside from his repeated ‘I’m sorry’s’ as he attempted to calm her down. She shook her head._

_“No, I knew you were going to push my limits, I should have kept it together. It's just…” She looked over to where Asa slept peacefully, belly up, thick tail trailing off the side of her bed. His mouth was slightly ajar, pink tongue lolling out. She felt a rush of affection for him._

_“...well Asa is all I really have left from my old life, and my dearest friend. You did a great job at picking at my worst vulnerability.” She smiled, a little self-deprecating._

_“Hmm, something of a specialty of mine, I’m afraid.”_

_“Comes with the territory, I suppose.” She regarded the silver-haired man consideringly, suddenly struck by the thought that he had most likely taken many lives using that exact skill._

_Determining that the tea had steeped long enough, Juno went to pour them both a portion. Impulsively, she decided to waterbend the tea into their cups, and with a flick of her wrists, did just that. Kakashi raised his eyebrows at the slight showmanship, but then nodded his thanks to her before accepting his serving._

_As he fiddled with his cup, Juno started after a moment, realizing that he couldn’t drink his tea without removing his mask. She angled her body away from him and deliberately faced towards the kitchen. After a moment, she heard a soft rustle and then the sound of him sipping at the brew. She took a sip of her own tea, and let the natural break in the conversation lead into what she was really burning to ask._

_“So, what brings you by this evening?” She inquired, “I’m assuming it’s not just for the sake of my glorious company?”_

_“Ah no, not just that.” She fought the desire to face him at that, unable to tell if he was joking with her, or being genuine. He continued before she could over-think his comment too much. “We need to discuss your role in the team. Although it's not unheard-of for an extra member to be added to the typical four-man cell, it does add a different element.”_

_She nodded, though she wasn’t sure he could tell looking at the back of her head._

_“You’ll accompany us on all of our missions, of course, and I’ll expect you to join the majority of our team practices for group training. The genin, as well as you, will need to learn how to fight as a team, and learn the various codes and formations in the typical shinobi’s arsenal. But I suspect that you will also need extra training on top of that.” She heard him deliberately set his teacup on the platter with a clink, and took it as an indication that he was finished drinking it. Sure enough, when she turned around, his mask was firmly in place and he was leaning casually back on one arm._

_“You’ll need to learn some of the more basic ninja combat theory and techniques. I don’t expect you will be able to learn to use them, as you have no chakra, but you’ll need to anticipate what your allies, as well as your foes, are capable of. In the future, you won’t be caught off-guard by genjutsu again.”_

_She nodded, then suddenly recalled her sudden sense of unease slightly before getting caught under Kakashi’s illusion. “Actually, I think I can do better than that. I’m pretty sure I sensed something just before you put me in the genjutsu. Maybe my spiritual powers allow me to sense chakra use somehow?”_

_He hummed, looking interested at that. “Yes, that brings me to my next point. Aside from learning the theory, I think we’ll need to do some experimenting. We can’t know for sure how your bending will interact with typical jutsus. I think you and I will need regular training one-on-one to determine how we will integrate your abilities into the shinobi framework. I expect I’ll find ways to push you that may surprise you.” He tapped his temple, “Ever since I saw you fight with Zabuza, I’ve been brainstorming. Now, I can actually see if we can put some of those ideas into action.”_

_Juno was simultaneously apprehensive, and excited. At nineteen, she had managed to learn almost everything she could about bending. She could heal and bend lightning, along with many of the other secondary and tertiary bending abilities. Although some things, like her earthbending sense, were not at master-level, she was at least able to use the basics. The thought that there were new frontiers for her to explore was somewhat thrilling, though she found it hard to imagine what Kakashi could be thinking of._

_She smiled, “Should I be worried about that?”_

_“I think you’re more than capable of what I have in mind for you.”_

_She was a little taken aback by the compliment, wondering if she was just imagining the slight suggestive tone. She blinked owlishly at him, eyes wide._

_He noticed her reaction and looked away, as if sheepish. It all but confirmed in her mind that he_ had _meant it in a slightly flirtatious way. Juno was suddenly reminded that they were very much alone, late at night, in her apartment. And that Kakashi was very much an attractive man._

_She shook off the butterflies that had suddenly bloomed in her gut just as Kakashi cleared his throat and rose from his cushion._

_“In any case, in three days the team will be gathering at our usual training ground for our first post-mission training session. Meet us then and we can discuss further what your training regime will be. I’m sure Sakura will show you where it is. Thanks for the tea.” Without another backwards glance, he smoothly exited the same window he had come through, disappearing seamlessly into the night._

_Juno rose to close the window-latch behind him, feeling slightly ruffled by the sudden realization that she was a little infatuated by her new teacher. As she made her way back to her bed, she sighed internally at herself. Rubbing at her temples, she flopped onto her back._

_Asa grumbled a little at the disturbance, then crawled over to tuck himself under her neck. Stroking his soft fur, Juno marveled a little at her situation. After not having any romantic feelings for anyone since parting with Benji more than two years ago, the idea that she had suddenly developed a crush on her new teacher was so unexpected as to be almost funny._

_And on top of that, he was a lazy, asocial prodigy with a love for pornographic novels._

_She heaved a dramatic sigh and turned on her side. “Oh Juno”, she thought to herself, “You sure know how to pick em.”_

* * *

Slurping her noodles noisily, Juno reflected a little on the days since then. She hadn’t come to any better conclusions about her feelings other than to confirm without a doubt that they existed. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this new reality, so she decided to try and ignore them for now. She would just have to hope that she doesn’t do something embarrassing like blush or laugh girlishly whenever they trained together. Although even thinking about tussling in close-proximity was enough to bring a low heat to the pit of her stomach. She shook her head, thinking privately that it had been far too long since any romance had been in her life to have such a palpable reaction to just the thought of a little physical contact.

This was a decidedly inappropriate line of thought to be entertaining while surrounded by literal children. She was glad that none of her young ninja friends had any weird telepathic abilities, otherwise they would have definitely been scandalized by some of the turns her mind had taken when she let it roam. They were at the age where such thoughts were firmly in the ‘weird and disgusting’ category. Or at least, the boys were. Juno winced, thinking about the undoubtedly gleeful reaction Sakura would have in response to this whole situation, and privately resolved to never speak of it with her.

Finishing her meal, Juno disposed of the remains in the trash. She was still slightly uncomfortable with the amount of waste that was produced by eating such processed meals, but the kids had assured her that this was normal.

Naruto and Sasuke were working their way up to another row, and Juno pivoted to break them up once again when they were all interrupted by the doorbell. Juno blinked and went over to answer the door, at a loss to who it could be, though her traitorous heart jumped to one possible conclusion very quickly.

As she answered, she was somewhat disappointed to find it was just a delivery person. He handed her a few boxes in exchange for her signature, then went on his way. Carrying the parcels to the kitchen counter, Juno was confronted by a trio of interested, and a little too innocent-looking, spectators.

Juno knew what the package must contain. The day after passing her assessment, Juno had gone to get fitted for her new ninja outfit. Futaba and the three genin had accompanied her, all offering opinions on what she should get. Ultimately, she had decided on a uniform of the typical ninja-trousers paired with a long dark-blue cheongsam. The tunic/dress had slits going up to the tops of her thigh so as to allow a full range of motion. It was sleeveless, and she had gotten corresponding cloth bands to wrap around her biceps. Her fashion advisors had agreed that the outfit appropriately showed off and complimented her air-bending tattoos in a quote “totally badass way”.

Opening the package however, Juno was taken completely by surprise.

Sitting at the top of the stack of clothing was the expected cheongsam, but with a detail she had not been expecting. Tracing her finger delicately along the embroidered design squarely at the back of the dress, Juno felt a welling of tears form on her eyes.

It was the classic symbol of her heritage, the all-too familiar three whorls of the air bending nomads. They were embroidered in the same color blue as her tattoos, and took up the whole upper back of the tunic.

She looked up to see three faces observing her reaction. Naruto smacked Sakura on the arm. “Way to go Sakura, you made her cry!”

Sakura smacked him right back on the side of the head, “You idiot Naruto, those are happy tears!” She looked uncertainly at Juno. “You are happy right? I didn’t mess up the design? I tried to get it just like you had described…”

“It's perfect,” Juno choked out, wiping at her eyes. Suddenly impatient, she quickly took the clothes to the washroom to change into them. 

Tying the string of the second arm-band, she regarded herself in the mirror. A capable-looking ninja warrior stared back. As the final touch, she lifted the last article from the box; the ninja headband. She tied it around her waist, the blue of the fabric complimenting the rest of the ensemble. Turning to look at her back, the air nomad swirls stood out proudly.

Emerging from the washroom, she did a slow spin for her attentive audience. Naruto whistled and Sakura clapped. Even Sasuke gave a nod of approval.

“Now you look like a real ninja. Clan symbol and all. A clan of one perhaps, but still important to show nonetheless.”

She met his gaze and nodded, understanding the importance of his statement now that she knew his background. A feeling of comradery passed between them, and Juno was unsurprised that, despite the constant prodding to get him to come out of his shell, it was this moment that made her feel like she finally connected with him.

The serious mood was broken when Naruto suddenly whooped. “Ah yeah! Now you’re a real shinobi of the leaf, believe it!”

“Naruto! Way to ruin the moment!”

“Ow! Sakura! Why’d you have to hit so hard?!”

“Stop yelling! You’re such a pain!”

Juno just laughed, suddenly feeling lighter than she had in days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Juno has a C-R-U-S-H!! :-0


	11. To Plant a Seed

Juno deftly flicked her wrists and sent another volley of water-bent projectiles towards her helpless targets. She made sure to hold back her full strength and speed, somewhat projecting where the hits were intended to land.

The trio of young ninja did their best to avoid the incoming water blobs, quickly twisting and stretching their bodies away from them. This was hampered by the fact that Juno was only allowing them to stay lightly perched on a series of raised stone pillars. Each pillar was only the width of a single foot, so one misplaced step could result in them falling the few feet to the ground.

She was glad to see that they were getting more comfortable with the exercise. It was one modified from a typical airbending training regime targeted toward young air nomads. In the original form, airbenders dashed and jumped around an arena of similar stone pedestals while their older trainers lobbed airbending spheres at them. She had changed it in light of the fact that her young friends couldn’t airbend, and therefore had no way of protecting themselves if they fell from a great height, plus the fact that they couldn’t use airbending-assisted jumps to clear the incoming projectiles.

It was good training for getting them to be more mindful of their surroundings while simultaneously improving their agility and flexibility. Already, they were getting more confident and bold in their attempts to avoid the water strikes. Sakura and Sasuke were starting to use their hands as well as their feet to move around the pillars in a series of handstand and cartwheel maneuvers. Seeing them engage in the same training exercises that she had when she was young made her feel a little nostalgic.

It was also great fun to see them get all flustered and frustrated when she landed a successful hit. She almost felt a little bad how funny she found training them this way.

Naruto had just unsuccessfully avoided another one of her projectiles, and his sputtering and enraged shouts at the face-full of water sent her into a fit of giggles. Asa was a little less subtle, rolling around on his back with loud, chirrupy monkey-laughter.

“I see you’ve found a new way to torment my poor students.” A dry voice piped up from behind her. Juno glanced back towards her new sensei, sending him a quick wink before turning her attention back to the young ninja, sending yet another volley towards them. This time, she was able to get both Naruto and Sasuke, their disgusted grunts and groans music to her ears.

“You know, I think I’m getting a hang of this whole teaching thing,” Juno quipped, before, with an evil glint in her eyes, sending a surprise pot-shot towards Sakura, catching the pink-haired girl squarely in her middle.

“Yeah! Three for three!”

“Ughhh, Sifu!” was the groaned response from the arena.

Juno chuckled before lowering her arms and waving her students down from their perches. 

To prevent confusion, Juno had asked to be referred to as ‘sifu” as opposed to Kakashi’s ‘sensei’. But, despite her words, she still found it strange to be referred to as such. Juno had always been the student of great bending masters in an effort to master all four elements and become a fully realized Avatar, and as a result had never had her own students. So far, she was just stealing the training regimes she had been exposed to and trying to adapt them to suit the young ninja’s needs, a bit of a challenge considering she wasn’t actually teaching them how to bend. 

So far, she found her teaching to successfully fill a hole in their current training programs. Kakashi taught them jutsus, ninja combat theory, and strategy, while Juno focused on physical conditioning and mental fortitude, not to mention the constant push for improved teamwork. She was also working hard to focus on their individual needs.

Her first project was to address one of their most glaring problems: their lack of unity as a team. Their adventure in the Land of Waves had gone a long way to improve it, according to Kakashi, but it was still not up to Juno’s standards. To address this, during their exercises, she would take turns appointing each of them as ‘team captain’, someone whose job it was to analyze whatever challenge was set before them and to strategize and delegate responsibilities to the other two members. It got them used to taking orders as well as giving them. 

Naruto and Sasuke, both independent and a little belligerent by nature, were forced to listen and respect Sakura’s input when it was her turn. If they deviated too much from the captain's orders, she would dock them points. Ultimately, they found that they were most successful when Sakura was in charge, and actually ended up delegating that role to her when they had a choice. It was gratifying to see.

As for Kakashi, although she found his teaching style to be a little lacking, there was no doubt in her mind that he was a certifiable genius. He was a deep fount of knowledge, demonstrating it time after time as he revealed new information about the ways of being a shinobi. He was a tactical mastermind, presenting them with theoretical battle scenarios, then, after waiting to hear their initial thoughts, would proceed to brutally pick apart their strategies. He seemed to delight in frustrating them with difficult thought problems, something Juno found to be especially challenging. There were so many unknowns when it came to shinobi abilities that she found it very difficult to anticipate how a battle could go. The amount of times he would flatly pronounce her ‘dead’ after she made a suggestion would make her groan and tug at her hair. His subtle eye-creased smile suggested that he enjoyed himself far too much when that happened.

Despite her frustrations, Juno felt that she already had a much better grasp of the shinobi world in the short time they had been working together. The sheer variety of ways chakra could be utilized and shaped still boggled her mind, but it seemed a lot less mysterious than when she had first encountered it. She was also slowly getting oriented to living in Konoha. The combined efforts of her various ‘teachers’ had her feeling a lot less like a turtleduck out of water.

Kakashi and Juno had yet to have their promised ‘one-on-one’ training, however, something that Juno felt a little grateful for. After the revelation that she had some more-than-friendly feelings towards him, Juno had felt a little awkward around him. To be honest, she wasn’t quite sure of what to do about it, if anything. 

Her first courtship had been so much more straightforward. Benji had decided that he liked her, told her so, and she had decided that she agreed. And while it ended up not working out in the long run, even their separation had been straightforward and amicable. She didn’t know the first thing about how to deal with this situation. Kakashi was older, socially aloof, and not to mention her direct superior. Even if he returned her feelings, which Juno was definitely on the fence about, despite his mild flirtations, Juno wasn’t even sure that they would be ‘allowed’ to have any sort of relationship. 

She wished she could talk with Jia. During her time in the Fire Nation royal court, she had gotten close with the Fire Lady, eventually regarding her as an older sister. Jia had always dealt so gracefully with the myriad of suiters calling to pay her favour, she’d surely have some prudent advice to pass on. Instead, Juno was left to flounder around like a clumsy child.

Despite her tumultuous feelings, Juno plastered an amicable smile on her face as the team gathered around Kakashi to see what the rest of their daily training would entail. Juno usually took advantage of the fact that Kakashi was chronically late most mornings to sneak her training in, but he usually had some kind of plan for them when he eventually joined them.

“Alright sensei! I was getting tired of getting splashed all the time, ya know? So what’s it going to be today? Hopefully learning some kind of badass jutsu and not just boring lectures!” Naruto’s boisterous voice bounced around the training ground. Juno was still surprised at the boy’s ability to project without even trying.

“Actually, we have a mission.”

Naruto whooped and threw his arms into the air “Finally! I knew the old man wouldn’t keep us benched for long after we crushed Gato and his goons! So what’s it going to be? Saving a captured princess? Hunting down some rogue missing-nin? We’re ready for anything now!”

“Would you keep it down Naruto! No one can get a word in edgewise when you get going like that!” Sakura interrupted, poking him in his side as he bounced around in excitement.

Juno had to smile at his exuberance, but also found herself somewhat excited to hear the details of this ‘mission’. It would be her first one as a shinobi of the leaf, not to mention as a member of team seven. She just hoped that she had prepared the kids enough for whatever dangers it entailed.

“Yes, this is a very important mission. So important, in fact, that all new genin teams are being conscripted to assist.” Kakashi said, finger raised in the air like it often did when he lectured them.

Juno was starting to get a little suspicious. Kakashi was often obscure, but not like this. She raised an eyebrow at him, he sent her a quick wink in response. Okay now she was really suspicious. 

It seemed like she wasn’t the only one. “Okay, so what’s this big important mission about anyway?” Sasuke piped up, arms crossed.

“We’ll be travelling outside the village to help some of Konoha’s citizens who are in desperate help of some big strong ninja. You’ll see when we get there.”

“FARMING?!” Naruto’s shout could probably be heard all the way back in the village.

Juno couldn’t help but laugh, worries completely dispelled. They had spent about an hour travelling outside the village walls, coming to the well-worn paths of a sizable agricultural village. During the walk, the three young ninja had pestered Kakashi for the details of their mission, but he simply planted his favourite book in front of his nose and ignored them. They eventually gave up in favour of speculating the details amongst themselves. She didn’t blame them; it was hard to bully someone so shameless that they would read porn in public.

Eventually, they came upon a cluster of farms. There were dozens of labourers already in the fields, some leading oxen-driven tillers, others following behind to plant seeds. The sight of the farmers in their paddy-hats and simple rough-spun clothing made Juno inordinately happy. It was a good reminder that, despite the modernity and somewhat alien tech in the village hidden in the leaves, there were many in this world who lived lives more similar to what she had been familiar with.

Finally, the truth about their mission came out. Apparently, heavier-than-normal rains had prevented the farmers from properly tilling and sowing their fields, and so they had drummed up enough coin to hire a few genin teams to help out before the season progressed past its peak. It was just hard labour, simple and sweet.

Apparently that wasn’t glamorous enough for ‘seasoned veterans’ like team seven. Although Sakura and Sasuke didn’t kick up quite a stink like Naruto, Juno could tell that they were slightly disappointed. As for herself, Juno was invigorated by the prospect. As the Avatar, such work had often been deemed to be ‘beneath her’, which had gone in direct contradiction to the air nomad’s more humble, service-driven lifestyle. So, although Juno found such work to be satisfying and fulfilling, she hadn’t had an opportunity to participate in this sort of thing for years.

“So, where are the other genin teams, then?” Sasuke asked, seemingly resigned to the work ahead of them. This was probably aided by the somewhat stern lecture Juno had launched into about no one being too important to help people when they needed it, no matter what was asked of them. 

“They’re somewhere nearby. This weather has been impacting several farms whose land borders Lake Aiya. The lake affects the weather systems pretty dramatically. It hasn’t been unknown for there to be flash floods or landslides when it gets heavy. But the Land of Fire relies heavily on the produce grown here. Even in Konohagakure.” Kakashi replied. 

The lake in question was sizable. From where she stood, Juno could barely make out the other side. The late morning light danced on its gentle waves. It was positively picturesque. If they hadn’t had work to do, Juno would have been very tempted to spend the afternoon meditating on its shores. 

But alas, there was work to be done. Juno made to go join the three genin as they went to meet the farm’s headman when she saw that Kakashi wasn’t following. Instead, he was making his way to a particularly large oak tree by the edge of the lake. Eyebrow twitching, Juno waiting to see if her assumption was correct. Sure enough, the silver-haired jounin made himself comfortable beneath the shade of the tree; leaning against the trunk and for all intents and purposes looking like he was gearing up for a nap.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” She said, approaching his resting place. His visible eye opened a slice and looked at her for a moment. He crossed his arms behind his head.

“I have a separate mission from you four. It’s very mysterious and important.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, right. Important for your beauty rest maybe. Are you seriously not going to help us out?” 

Just because she liked him didn’t mean she couldn’t give him a hard time.

His eye peaked open again. “I’m an elite jounin. D-rank farming is a little below my pay-grade.”

Juno groaned, but couldn’t lay into him too hard like she had with the kids. He was technically her superior. “Well, you’re setting a bad example. Didn’t you just hear my lecture about no one being too important to help out? What kind of lesson are you trying to impart here?”

He mimed picking fluff out of his ears “What was that, Juno-chan? I don’t think I heard you quite right.”

Juno huffed at him, “Fine, Sensei! I’m sure you know best after all”. She spun on her foot and practically stomped away to join the others. She could feel his gaze burning the back of her head.

The nerve of that man! 

She joined the group just as the headman was finishing explaining how to drive the ox-carts. Juno eyed the burly beast strapped to the cart apprehensively. She was glad that she had decided to leave Asa behind in the village. She didn’t like the idea of him getting into mischief messing with the livestock. Those horns looked big!

Assessing the situation and the work as it was presented to them, Juno saw an opportunity. Interrupting the headman with a short bow, Juno spoke up.

“Honorable Headman, If I may, I think I know of a way to speed the planting process along. If I may demonstrate?”

He blinked at her, clearly not used to being addressed so formally. “Ah, yes, of course; but I’ve been farming a long time, young lady, I think I know all the ways there is to do it.” He crossed his arms after ushering her forwards.

Juno approached the edge of the untilled field. Sinking deep into an earth-bending stance and taking a steadying breath, she thrust her palms forward in a powerful single move.

The soil broke up in a perfectly straight, narrow trench reaching halfway across the field. Juno stepped forward, and, with a second thrust, stretched the furrow all the way to the opposite edge. Emerging out of her stance, she turned towards the headman, whose mouth was hanging open in shock.

She turned to the three genin standing by. “You three, use shadow clones and sow the seeds in the soil after I turn it up. If we work together, we’ll be done with these fields by dinner!” She thrust a fist into the air, “Let’s crush this mission!”

The headman was sputtering as the three genin prepared to follow her instructions. Naruto, as usual, summoned a veritable army of clones, with Sasuke and Sakura producing a more modest number. The crowd of young ninja went over to the barn on the edge of the field to get outfitted with sacks of seeds. Juno didn’t wait for them, just dug into the work at hand.

After a few moments, Juno saw that they had attracted a small audience. The other farm labourers as well as some civilians had gathered on the edge of the field to watch them work. The headman, after gathering his wits, went to shoo the workers back to their tasks.

“Come on now, there’s plenty of work here for everyone. If you still want to get paid you’d best get your rears in motion, before these ninja get it all done without you!” He shouted, waving his arms. He turned to the ninja team and grinned broadly. “You know, I wasn’t too sure that spending the extra coin to hire genin would be worth it, but at this rate you’ll have done the work of three teams in half the time!”

Juno smiled at his enthusiasm, then turned all her attention back to the work at hand. Soon enough, she settled into a rhythm. Her world narrowed into an endless cycle: squat, thrust, dig, shuffle, squat, thrust, dig, shuffle. Time narrowed into the stretch between two trenches. She tapped hard into her earthbending instincts, something that felt a little distant for her, but there nonetheless. She soon worked up a sweat, muscles warmed into the consistent motions.

She was startled briefly out of her work when her latent airbending sense alerted her to an incoming flying object. She turned at the last second to snatch the flying paddy-hat out of the air. The headman waved at her from where he stood at the edge of the field. 

He put his hands at his mouth to shout at her “You’d best put that hat on young missy, or that sun’ll turn you into a tomato!” She waved back at him in thanks before tying the string of the hat securely under her chin. She saw that the genin and their clones had all been similarly outfitted. She smiled and turned back to work.

It was hard. As the sun climbed higher into the sky its rays beat down a more brutal assault. After what felt like a few hours, Juno was drenched with sweat, panting in effort to keep her work going at a good pace. Young runners came by often with a gourd of water to hydrate the workers, and, when one came by to offer her a turn, Juno was mightily tempted to upturn the entire thing over her head. Pausing to take a sip and mop at her brow, Juno turned to survey their work.

They were making excellent progress. Juno’s estimation that they would be done by dinner time was proving to be true. She could see workers in other fields driving the ox-ploughs and sowing seeds at their own pace. Many of them had shed their shirts in an attempt to keep cool.

Turning to return the gourd to the young boy who had brought it to her, Juno considered doing the same. Although her cheongsam was sleeveless, it still clung uncomfortably to the sweat at her lower back and belly. She had a practical black brassiere underneath, made of a stretchy black fabric. It was really more of a small, tight, short shirt than an undergarment. If she had been at home, Juno would have shed her outer layer with no hesitation. But she wasn’t too sure about the social rules surrounding modesty here. Still, the fact that some of the men had done the same led her to believe it wouldn’t be too scandalous if she followed suit.

She made her decision, taking her hat off for a moment, and quickly pulled the cheongsam over her head. She passed it to the wide-eyed young boy and told him to take it over to “the lazy silver-haired bastard under the tree” and to dump it on his head. A facefull of sweaty clothes was just what he deserved. She winked at the boy, who seemed positively gleeful to be given permission to do something a little naughty. Tying the strings of her hat securely under her chin once more, Juno watched from a distance as the scene played out.

She was a little disappointed that she wasn’t close enough to make out the expression on Kakashi’s face. Still, she had a bit of a giggle seeing him recoil in disgust after he caught the sweaty garment that was lobbed straight at his head. She had to hand it to the kid, he had great aim.

She waved at him when he looked in her direction, smiling broadly. He shook his head at her, then went back to reading a scroll spread out in front of him. Juno was a little surprised to see him reading something other than his favourite orange book.

Figuring her short break was over, Juno went back to work. The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. They had a short break for lunch, which Juno and the others gobbled down eagerly, and then they returned to work into the early evening. The weather got progressively hotter as the day went, until the headman decided to call a halt. 

Juno was more than a little relieved. Her muscles were sore, she felt grimy and sweaty, and wanted nothing more than to take a hundred-year-long nap. She and the three genin congregated at Kakashi’s tree, collapsing under it with a collective groan.

Kakashi himself barely glanced up from where he was pouring over several scrolls, making notations on a separate notebook. Squinting at it, Juno could see strange markings and diagrams drawn in a slightly messy hand. Despite her rigorous studying of the local alphabet, she couldn’t make heads or tales of it. Sakura, peering over his shoulder, seemed to feel otherwise.

“Wow, that looks like a pretty serious chakra construct, Kakashi-sensei. What’re you making it for?”

“Oh, just a little project I’ve been working on. Nothing to worry about.” He made one final note, put his reading materials away, and then looked them over. “Looks like you four made sure the farmer’s got their money’s worth, good job.”

“Ugh, I’m so tired I could fall asleep right here!” Naruto groaned from where he lay sprawled on his back nearby. “Who knew farming as so hard!” Juno smiled before making her own observations of her young friends. Looking the three genin over, Juno could see that they were all as sweaty and disheveled as she was. 

She was suddenly struck by inspiration, and sat up to begin unwrapping the bandages that tied her standard-issued shinobi pants to her ankles. Slowly, she shed the bandages, her shoes, and after getting to her feet, shimmied out of her pants. 

She was very aware of Kakashi sitting nearby as she did so, seeing his eye flicker over her body in her peripheral vision. She wasn’t sure if he was merely taking in a curious view of the graceful lines of her airbending tattoos, or, perhaps, was carefully observing as a stray bead of sweat trailed down her taut abdominal muscles. Did she just imagine his gaze lingering on the slight swell of her hips before turning his head away? She would drive herself mad trying to guess, so just turned her own head away to focus on the task at hand.

“What the –” She heard Naruto exclaim as she strode out of the shadow of the tree in nothing but her brassiere and tight under-shorts. She made a beeline to the edge of the lake and waded in with a few broad strides before diving forward. 

The cool water felt utterly delicious on her overheated and grimy body. She propelled herself forward with a slight burst of waterbending, luxuriating in the glide of the water, before surfacing with a dramatic throw of her head. She rotated her body to face the shore. 

She had intended to encourage the three young ninja to join her for a late-day swim, but saw that Naruto at least needed no such prompting. She only caught a last-second glimpse of the yellow-haired boy clad in nothing but his under-shorts before he cannon-balled into the water with a whoop. She grinned before propelling herself towards him with a few powerful strokes. When he surfaced, she wasted no time before pouncing and dunking him back under.

Then, the game was on. They tousled for a while, Juno laughing uproariously at Naruto’s attempts to get the upper-hand on her. It was a horrifically unbalanced matchup considering Juno’s waterbending skills, so she soon abandoned the water-fight. Instead, she got Naruto to sit atop of her shoulders as she took him for a waterbender-propelled surf around the lake. The cool and refreshing water washed their fatigue away, leaving them giddy.

Soon enough, their silly fun and the prospect of a refreshing swim overrode Sakura and Sasuke’s more reserved natures. The two genin joined them in the water, albeit a little more sedately, and Sakura with her shirt still on over her breast-band. With a conspiratorial glance, Naruto and Juno teamed up to drag the two other members of team seven into their games. They had no chance.

With powerful sweeping strokes of her legs, Juno propelled herself atop the waves of the lake. The only way she had been able to convince Sasuke to join her for a ride was to challenge him to balance while standing on her shoulders. The prospect of one-upping Naruto was a little too tempting for the typically reserved boy, and soon they were both grinning as she skated them gracefully across the water. Tensing her muscles for the big finale, Juno launched them into the air with a water spout, tucked into a tight summersault while airborne, and dived back into the lake.

Surfacing with a gasp, Juno grinned at the sputtering Sasuke before turning to float on her back. She took a deep breath.

Soon, a pleasant glow of relaxation overtook her body. She quickly entered a half-meditative state, utterly enjoying the fatigue of a good-day’s work coupled with the glow of good-natured fun. For a moment, she felt a sense of perfect happiness.

From beneath the water, Juno’s ears picked up the sounds of someone calling from the edge of the lake. Treading water once more, she turned to see Kakashi beckoning them from the shore.

“Come on you lake-monsters, the headman has invited us all to dinner at his home. Get dried off so we can eat.”

“Yeah! Food!” It seemed that Naruto had completely forgotten his tiredness in light of their shenanigans and the prospect of a meal. Juno smiled to herself as she swam forward and emerged out of the lake. 

They didn’t have towels, so the four tired ninja laid on their backs to soak in the sun and air-dry. Despite Naruto’s spirited attitude, they were all too tired for conversation, and just soaked in the last rays of the sun in contented silence. Despite the late hour, it was still relatively warm, so it didn’t take long before they could change back into their clothes.

The meal at the headman’s house was lavish compared to the relatively modest interior of the building. What they lacked in luxury they more than made up for in hospitality. There was a diverse spread of dishes for the ninja to choose from, most made with the produce that the farm grew themselves. In light of the day’s hard work, Juno felt no guilt in hogging her favourite fried mushrooms. 

It was no secret that the headman was overjoyed at the work from Team Seven. He pushed desserts on the kids while keeping up a steady pour of Juno and Kakashi’s drinks. They both abstained after a while, considering the walk back to the village ahead of them that evening, but the headman felt no such need. Soon, his ruddy cheeks were even redder with drink.

“Juno-san! I could use a worker like you on my holdings. With you on board, I could buy out my competitors with ease!” He got louder the more he drank, and was soon trying to convince her to marry his son and stay on permanently. Looking over to the young man in question, who grinned at her, showing his two missing front teeth, Juno declined with all the grace she could muster. She could hear Kakashi struggle to hold in a snicker from beside her. She surreptitiously elbowed him in his side.

They were soon saying goodnight to the headman’s family in preparation to leave. The headman’s wife, a lovely and buxom older woman, was a little more reserved in her thanks, but nonetheless made sure they left with two baskets of produce in addition to a bottle of home-brewed sake. She took Juno aside to speak to her once more before they left.

“We really can’t thank you enough for your help today young lady. Are you sure we can’t convince you to stay? My son may not look like much, but he’s got it where it counts!” She winked conspiratorially, “Or, I have a daughter too if that’s what you’d prefer.”

“Ah, many thanks, but I have a life waiting for me back in the village.” Juno replied with a shallow bow. She was happy to see that she believed it too. Maybe Konohagakure was starting to feel a bit like home?

The headman’s wife nodded in concession, but then shook her head from side to side. “Well, I can see there’s no convincing you, more’s the pity. Still, between you and that young man of yours, it looks like our farm will have a better year than ever before.”

Juno blinked in surprise, “Eh? My young man? You mean Kakashi?”

“Yes, that silver-haired lad. While you were having a swim with your students he went and did some kind of fancy ninja-work on the cliffs behind the house. With all the rain we’ve been having we thought for sure that we’d be in for a mudslide, but he said that we wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. We told him we couldn’t afford that kind of ninja-work, but he did it anyway!” She grinned. “I wasn’t sure about you ninja-folk, but I can see that you’re alright after all.”

Juno shook her head slowly side to side in wonder. That must have been what Kakashi had been working on all afternoon, the chakra-construct that Sakura had marveled at. And to think, Kakashi had been content to let Juno berate him any chance she could find because of his laziness. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t say anything.

She looked over to where he was standing at the entrance of the house, patiently waiting for her to finish her conversation. He met her gaze, and Juno tore her eyes away with a blush. She quickly bowed in farewell to the headman’s wife, and joined the rest of the team as they put on their shoes to leave.

Soon, they were on their way back to the village, their first official mission as a team completed. The sun was setting in a brilliant blaze of orange and pinks, the end to a beautiful day. Juno found herself yawning widely as they made their way along the path, and daydreamed of her soft bed.


End file.
